HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

1 Parliament Street: Air Conditioning

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, answering for the House of Commons Commission what steps the House authorities  (a) have recently taken and  (b) plan to take to improve the air conditioning within 1 Parliament street; and if he will make a statement.

Stuart Bell: The Parliamentary Estates Directorate (PED) has recently upgraded the building management system at 1 Parliament street, allowing improved monitoring and control of the air conditioning plant and equipment serving the building. PED also routinely carries out maintenance of the building's ventilation and cooling systems.
	PED has commissioned a feasibility study into all of the mechanical and electrical services in the block of buildings fronting onto Parliament street. The feasibility study will include options for improving the ventilation and cooling systems within 1 Parliament street and will be linked to works to alter the windows, in order to improve energy efficiency and provide improved blast protection. The associated report is due for completion in the autumn of 2010.

DEFENCE

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armoured vehicles are  (a) deployed in theatre,  (b) under repair and  (c) held in reserve.

Nick Harvey: I am withholding information on the number of vehicles deployed in Afghanistan for operational security reasons.
	The number of armoured vehicles under repair, not including those in Afghanistan, and held in reserve as at 27 June are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Vehicle  Level 1 and 2 Repair (Minor Service and repair)  Level 3 and 4 Repair (Extensive repair and overhaul)  Storage (Reserve) 
			 AS90 25 9 48 
			 Challenger 2 40 19 191 
			 CRAARV 15 14 14 
			 Warrior 50 165 193 
			 Bulldog 43 52 290 
			 CVR(T) 83 151 281 
			 Titan 8 0 0 
			 Trojan 9 0 0 
			 Viking(1) 5 42 11 
			 (1) The figures for Viking are at 5 July 2010 
		
	
	The numbers of vehicles in level 1 and 2 repair will vary significantly from day to day. Most vehicles in this category will normally be back in service in 24 to 48 hours.

Army

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the cost of adding an additional brigade to the army.

Nick Harvey: At this time no estimate has been made within the Department of adding an additional brigade to the Army. To provide an indicative costing would be unrealistic since it would depend on what role any such brigade was designed for. There are significant differences in the composition of a Heavy Brigade as opposed to a Light Brigade or an Airborne Brigade in terms of manpower, training, equipment and accommodation. For this reason it is not possible to give an indicative figure.
	The Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) will bring defence policy, plans, commitments and resources into balance, and produce over time a transformative change to British defence.
	At the heart of Defence contribution to the SDSR will be a thorough examination of our force structure, looking at the overall shape, size and role of armed forces personnel and MOD civil servants, including the reserve forces. Depending on the outcome of the SDSR, some capabilities may be reduced in order to enhance others and provide the most effective suite of measures for defending the UK's interests.
	This will not be a salami-slicing review but one which provides coherent long-term policy direction and takes the tough choices required to produce the armed forces and wider defence capabilities the country will need in the decades ahead.

Departmental Official Cars

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Ministers in his Department have used an allocated ministerial car to travel between the Department and the House of Commons on each day since 21 May 2010.

Andrew Robathan: None.

Departmental Responsibilities

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the roles and responsibilities are of the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans;
	(2)  on what matters  (a) within and  (b) outside his listed ministerial responsibilities the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans answers questions for written answer.

Andrew Robathan: The roles and responsibilities of my post are similar to those fulfilled by the hon. Member when he was a Defence Minister. I have responsibility for service personnel, civil servants and the wider service family including reservists, cadets, ex-service personnel and families. This includes pay, allowances, entitlements and welfare.
	I am also responsible for: estates matters; climate change and environmental issues; and, commemorative issues and medals.
	In addition, I am responsible for the following agencies: The Service Personnel and Veterans Agency; the Pay, People and Pensions Agency; the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency; the Defence Vetting Agency; the Hydrographic Office; and the Meteorological Office.
	I respond to written parliamentary questions (WPQs) on all of these issues. When the appropriate Minister is unavailable, however, the Ministry of Defence makes arrangements for another available Minister to approve and sign off WPQs to ensure that they are answered promptly.

HMS Sultan

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will commission an assessment of the social and economic effects on Gosport of the proposed transfer of HMS Sultan to South Wales.

Nick Harvey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her on 15 June 2010,  Official Report, column 350W, by my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology (Peter Luff). It is too early to consider commissioning an assessment.

Military Bases: Aviation

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the role of military airfields in defending the UK.

Nick Harvey: The Strategic Defence and Security Review is looking at a wide range of options to ensure that the Department has the right balance of resources to meet its commitments, and that the Defence Budget is spent as efficiently, effectively and economically as possible.

Nimrod Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sorties the Nimrod MR2 has flown in support of  (a) counter-narcotics,  (b) search and research and  (c) anti-submarine warfare operations from RAF bases in the UK in each year since 2001.

Nick Harvey: The Nimrod MR2 was based at RAF Kinloss until it went out of service in April this year. The number of search and rescue sorties flown by MR2 aircraft from RAF Kinloss in each year since 2005 is provided in the following table. Information prior to 2005 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Number of sorties 
			 2005 28 
			 2006 28 
			 2007 17 
			 2008 25 
			 2009 11 
			 2010 (until 31 March) 3 
		
	
	I am withholding the number of sorties the Nimrod MR2 has flown in support of counter-narcotics operations as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces. I am also withholding information on anti-submarine warfare operations for reasons of national security.

RAF St Athan

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of the proposed private finance initiative project for the Engineering Training School at RAF St Athan over the next 30 years.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 5 July 2010
	The current estimate of the cost of Defence Training Rationalisation Package 1 project is £14 billion. This represents the cost for the provision of the construction of new facilities at St Athan and the whole operating costs for the entire 30 year life of the project. These operating costs include staff, catering and maintenance costs, the majority of which we already carry today.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Corruption

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Attorney-General whether the Serious Fraud Office plans to increase the resources it uses to investigate and prosecute international corruption; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Garnier: The SFO recognises the importance of this work and continues to investigate and prosecute serious and complex international corruption on a case by case basis. Resources will continue to be allocated according to business needs.

Corruption

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Attorney-General how many reports of UK involvement in foreign bribery have been reported by each UK overseas post to the Serious Fraud Office.

Dominic Grieve: The Serious Fraud Office regularly receives reports from other Government Departments as part of its investigations, and records indicate that 14 reports were received from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 2005.

Departmental Official Cars

William Bain: To ask the Attorney-General which Ministers in the Law Officers' Departments have used an allocated ministerial car to travel between the Departments and the House of Commons on each day since 21 May 2010.

Edward Garnier: Exact records are not maintained on day to day usage of ministerial cars; however, every effort is made to minimise their use. Whenever possible the Law Officers walk between the Department and the House of Commons. The car is only used when there is a clear business need; normally for timing or security reasons.

Law Officers

Graham Evans: To ask the Attorney-General how much the Law Officers' Departments spent on catering in each year from 1997 to 2009.

Edward Garnier: The amount spent on catering by the Law Officers' Departments from 1997 to 2009 is outlined as follows.
	 Treasury Solicitors Department (Tsol) :
	Spending by Tsol on catering for the financial years from 1998-2010 is detailed in the following table. The data also covers the Attorney-General's Office and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate for whom Tsol has financial responsibility.
	The increase in expenditure in the year ending 31 March 2006 and onwards is accounted for by the creation of in-house facilities when Tsol relocated in August 2005. The expenditure from that date includes an operating subsidy paid to support the staff cafeteria and the cost of refreshments provided at training events, which had previously been accounted for as training costs. Since May 2006 the service has been shared with other building users who meet their share of the costs.
	It is not possible to provide the information for earlier years without incurring a disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   £ 
			 1998-99 7,221.54 
			 1999-2000 9,809.84 
			 2000-01 10,847.66 
			 2001-02 11,814.39 
			 2002-03 18,368.24 
			 2003-04 18,673.70 
			 2004-05 37,383.31 
			 2005-06 123,768.07 
			 2006-07 146,452.81 
			 2007-08 147,435.10 
			 2008-09 110,800.33 
			 2009-10 108,053.37 
		
	
	 The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) :
	The Serious Fraud Office does not provide in house catering services, but does on occasion provide hospitality for external meetings, and refreshments for internal meetings where external visitors are present. The amount spent on this is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Total 
			 1997-98 16,326 
			 1998-99 14,650 
			 1999-2000 13,869 
			 2000-01 12,126 
			 2001-02 18,984 
			 2002-03 20,287 
			 2003-04 18,385 
			 2004-05 18,142 
			 2005-06 31,452 
			 2006-07 23,005 
			 2007-08 42,210 
			 2008-09 41,362 
			 2009-10 36,968 
		
	
	 The National Fraud Authority (NFA):
	Since its launch in 2008 the NFA has spent £4,000 and £4,916.37 on catering in 2008-09 and 2009-10 respectively.
	 The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS):
	The CPS does not hold full central records of spending on catering throughout the service for all the years in question. The information sought could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, it is possible to provide a breakdown of CPS HQ costs relating to the canteen subsidy as far back as 2003-04. In addition, central records of catering expenditure are held for the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office (RCPO), who merged with the CPS in January 2010, since 2005-06.
	
		
			  CPS HQ catering costs-canteen subsidy 
			   Canteen subsidy (£) 
			 2003-04 117,274 
			 2004-05 130,206 
			 2005-06 123,488 
			 2006-07 94,321 
			 2007-08 127,234 
			 2008-09 130,074 
		
	
	
		
			  RCPO catering costs 
			   Expenditure (£) 
			 2005-06 5,956 
			 2006-07 8,460 
			 2007-08 6,420 
			 2008-09 14,550

SCOTLAND

Departmental Training

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what training has been provided for Ministers in his Department since the formation of the present administration; and at what cost.

David Mundell: I attended an induction workshop for new Ministers, organised by the National School for Government. There was no charge to the Scotland Office for the workshop.

Departmental Travel

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost to the public purse was of first and business class travel paid for by his Department in 2009-10.

Michael Moore: The Scotland Office does not separately record information and expenditure on first class travel. It is Scotland Office policy not to use first class travel for officials. All ministerial travel is undertaken by the most efficient and cost effective way, in accordance with the Ministerial Code, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Departmental Conferences

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of expenditure by his Department and its predecessors on  (a) organisation of and  (b) attendance at conferences in each year since 1997.

Bob Neill: The Department's expenditure on conference  (a) organisation and  (b) attendance for the last four financial years is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Conference organisation  Conference attendance  Totals 
			 2006-07 1,450,377 574,723 2,025,100 
			 2007-08 1,836,863 909,582 2,746,444 
			 2008-09 1,513,585 623,727 2,137,312 
			 2009-10 1,292,495 673,348 1,965,843 
			 Totals 6,093,320 2,781,379 8,874,699 
		
	
	Figures for earlier years could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Fire Services: Pensions

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on potential changes to fire service pensions.

Bob Neill: No recent representations have been received.

Housing and Planning Delivery Grant: Tower Hamlets

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much Housing and Planning Delivery Grant the London borough of Tower Hamlets has received from the Government in each year since its inception; and how much will be made available in 2010-11.

Bob Neill: Housing and Planning Delivery Grant commenced in 2008-09 and London borough of Tower Hamlets received the following awards:
	
		
			   HPDG Award  (£) 
			 2008-09 1,683,359 
			 2009-10 2,326,542 
		
	
	There will be no Housing and Planning Delivery Grant allocations in 2010-11 as detailed in the announcement on the £1.166 billion Local Government contributed to the £6.2 billion cross government savings in 2010-11.

Infrastructure Planning Commission

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 29 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 35-6WS, on planning reform, what mechanisms he plans to put in place to ensure that no application lodged with the Infrastructure Planning Commission will take longer to consider under the  (a) transition and  (b) new arrangements than under the current system.

Greg Clark: During the transitional period before new legislation can be brought into effect, the existing provisions of the Planning Act 2008 which set the timetable for the examination, recommendations and decision making functions, will continue to apply.
	We intend that the new arrangements will also include a statutory timetable for these functions, which allows no longer than is currently permitted for them to be carried out.
	In addition, by requiring National Planning Statements to be ratified by Parliament, the scope for judicial review of planning decisions for major infrastructure projects will be reduced.

Infrastructure Planning Commission

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 29 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 35-36WS, on planning reform, what timetable he has set for abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission.

Greg Clark: We anticipate that primary legislation to abolish the Infrastructure Planning Commission will be brought forward in the current Session of Parliament and abolition of this body will be put into effect as soon as it is possible to do so following the passage of the legislation.

Infrastructure Planning Commission

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 29 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 35-36WS, on planning reform, what legislative proposals he plans to bring forward to establish the Major Infrastructure Planning Unit.

Greg Clark: As the written ministerial statement of 29 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 35-36WS, makes clear, we intend to establish a major infrastructure planning unit as part of the Planning Inspectorate. Because it will be established in an existing agency of Communities and Local Government, its establishment will be effected through administrative rather than statutory processes.
	The Government will bring forward primary legislation to effect the abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission in the current Session of Parliament, paving the way for the major infrastructure planning unit to be established.

Infrastructure Planning Commission

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 29 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 35-6WS, on planning reform, what estimate he has made of the cost of abolishing the Infrastructure Planning Commission.

Greg Clark: We expect the abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission to save taxpayers' money as the IPC has not had time to build up significant liabilities. I have asked the chief executive of the IPC and the Planning Inspectorate to work together to ensure that these savings are realised.

Infrastructure Planning Commission

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the costs incurred as a result of the abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission.

Bob Neill: We expect the abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission to save taxpayers' money as the IPC has not had time to build up significant liabilities. I have asked the chief executive of the IPC and the Planning Inspectorate to work together to ensure that these savings are realised.

Infrastructure Planning Commission

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to abolish the Infrastructure Planning Commission.

Greg Clark: The Government will bring forward primary legislation to effect the abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission in the current session of Parliament.

Infrastructure Planning Commission

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to establish the Major Infrastructure Planning Unit; what its  (a) proposed annual budget and  (b) location will be; and how many staff it will employ.

Greg Clark: The Major Infrastructure Planning Unit will be established to operate as a unit within the Planning Inspectorate.
	 (a) As part of the contribution towards the efficiency drive across Government Departments and their arm's length bodies and agencies, running cost for the period 2010-11 has been reduced by 10.5% to £6,265 million. Budgets for future years have not been agreed.
	 (b) The Major Infrastructure Planning Unit will be based in Bristol as part of the Planning Inspectorate.
	(c) The number of staff in the Major Infrastructure Planning Unit will vary according to number of planning applications it is considering.

Local Government: Manpower

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of local government expenditure in England was for staffing costs in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bob Neill: The percentage of local government total service expenditure in England which was attributable to employee costs was 49%, in 2008-09, which are the latest figures available.
	This figure is published in Table 6.2a (Page 129) of the Local Government Financial Statistics England No.20 2010, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House or on Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/financialstatistics202010

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Conferences

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure on  (a) organisation of and  (b) attendance at conferences in each year since 1997.

Owen Paterson: On 12 April 2010 the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) transferred responsibility for Policing and Justice to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available. Since 12 April the Department has incurred no expenditure in this area.

Departmental Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has spent  (a) in total and  (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by his Department for this purpose.

Owen Paterson: On 12 April 2010 the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) transferred responsibility for Policing and Justice to the NI Assembly. Comparable figures from previous years for the Department as now configured are not available.
	The Northern Ireland Office, as now configured, has one member of staff who spends approximately 25% of her time on promoting diversity and monitoring performance at an estimated annual cost of £10,000.

Departmental finance

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which Northern Ireland Executive departments will have their levels of funding under the block grant protected.

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government announced in the June 2010 Budget that they are committed to protecting health and overseas aid in the Spending Review. Health is a devolved programme so the Northern Ireland Executive will benefit from health being protected in England through the operation of Barnett formula consequentials in the spending review. However it is for the Northern Ireland Executive to make its own decisions on how to allocate its block budget in Northern Ireland.

Departmental Lost Property

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what property has been recorded as  (a) lost and  (b) stolen from the Department in the last 12 months; and what estimate has been made of the cost of the replacement of that property.

Owen Paterson: There have been no items recorded as lost or stolen in the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) in the last 12 months.

Departmental Training

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what training has been provided for Ministers in his Department since the formation of the present administration; and at what cost.

Owen Paterson: My hon. Friend the Minister of State attended a ministerial induction workshop on 27 May arranged by the National School for Government on behalf of No. 10 and the Cabinet Office. There was no charge for this course.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Lost Property

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what property has been recorded as  (a) lost and  (b) stolen from the Department in the last 12 months; and what estimate has been made of the cost of the replacement of that property.

John Penrose: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the hon. Member for Bradford South (Mr Sutcliffe) to the then Member for Glasgow East (John Mason) on 17 March 2010,  Official Report, column 889W.
	Additionally, during the last 12 months the following items were recorded as lost or stolen.
	
		
			  Item  Date  Lost/Stolen  Estimated cost of replacement (£) 
			 Memory Stick September 2009 Lost 41 
			 Mobile Phone May 10 Stolen 150 
			 Blackberry May 10 Stolen 200 
			 Blackberry May 10 Stolen 164 
			 Mobile Phone June 10 Lost 150 
		
	
	In the last 12 months the following work of art has also been reported missing from the Government Art Collection and is as yet un-located.
	
		
			  Item  Date  Status  Estimated cost of replacement (£) 
			 Henry Powle (1630-1692) Speaker of the House of Commons and Master of the Rolls, engraving after Godfrey Kneller April 10 Not found at inventory check at Royal Courts of Justice 100

Departmental Manpower

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on human resources in each year since 1997.

Jeremy Hunt: The cost of the Human Resource Team in DCMS for the last two years can be seen in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Description  2008-09 Spend  2009-10 Spend 
			 Staff Costs 851,315.39 755,714.25 
			 Non-Staff Costs 90,989.86 51,778.87 
			 Annual Total 942,305.25 807,493.12 
		
	
	Prior to 2008-09, the Human Resources Team were part of a larger team including staff supporting the Department's IT system and estate management.
	Costs relating to the Human Resources Team could be identified only at disproportionate cost.

Olympic Games 2012

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport of 24 June 2010,  Official Report, column 150WH, on local media, what definition of the term multi-platform, multi-media ecosystem he uses.

Edward Vaizey: A "thriving, multi-platform local media ecosystem" is defined as local media businesses, operating on a commercially sustainable basis, continuing to innovate to produce local content across a range of platforms (such as the internet, television, radio and print), and potentially syndicating the delivery of this content.

Public Libraries: Information Services

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to encourage community libraries to provide access to and information on local authority services;
	(2)  if he will encourage libraries located in town centres to match their opening times to those of peak shopping times.

Edward Vaizey: People's expectations of their library services have changed and local authorities need to be responsive to the needs and wants of their customers. Responsibility and accountability for day to day management of individual library services, including opening hours and providing local authority information, is devolved to local authorities and their communities. However, DCMS is committed to helping local government find solutions to the problems it faces. A new support programme led by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and Local Government Association Group will support councils, especially those who want to work in partnership with each other, to drive efficiencies and deliver an effective service. The learning and experience from that programme will be shared widely across the sector.

TRANSPORT

Airport Economic Regulation Bill

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of his Department's officials are working on preparations for the Airport Economic Regulation Bill.

Theresa Villiers: There are currently around 16 Department for Transport officials whose work includes contributing to aspects of preparing the Airport Economic Regulation Bill. This includes policy advisers, lawyers and economists.

Aviation: Passengers

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's latest projections are of air passenger numbers over the next 30 years.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport regularly publishes forecasts of the number of air passengers using UK airports. It did so most recently in "UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts", published in January 2009. The Department keeps its forecasts under review and will publish updated forecasts as appropriate.

Crossrail: Pay

Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what  (a) salary and  (b) bonus was paid to each (i) executive and (ii) non-executive director of Crossrail Limited in 2009-10.

Theresa Villiers: Crossrail Limited is a 100% subsidiary of the Transport for London Group. As such the salary and bonuses paid to the executive and non-executive directors are a matter for the Mayor of London.

Departmental Responsibilities

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the roles and responsibilities are of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport.

Norman Baker: The responsibilities, which are published on the Department's website, are as follows:
	 Norman Baker
	Regional and Local Transport
	Buses and Taxis- including concessionary fares
	Walking and Cycling
	Accessibility and Equalities
	Alternatives to travel
	Light rail and trams
	Natural environment
	Parking
	Traffic management
	Corporate issues
	 Mike Penning
	Strategic Roads and Highways Agency
	Motoring agencies
	Road Safety and Standards
	Freight and Logistics-including lorry road user charging
	Maritime and Dangerous Goods-(including Maritime and Coastguard Agency)
	Better regulation.

Leamside Railway Line

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the future of the Leamside Line in County Durham and Tyne and Wear; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: There are no plans at present to re-open the Leamside Line. However, there are no plans to dispose of the land occupied by the line. The possibility for re-opening in the long term remains open, if running trains on this route is shown to be the best way of meeting regional and local transport needs.

Merchant Shipping: Registration

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the number of merchant naval ships registered in the UK on the requirement to pay wages to non-British sailors at the level of the national minimum wage.

Michael Penning: The previous Government commissioned a review into the practice of differential pay for seafarers recruited abroad. I wish to look afresh at the issues and evidence presented before taking further steps.

Network Rail: Pay

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what statutory powers he has in relation to arrangements for executive pay at Network Rail.

Theresa Villiers: The Secretary of State for Transport currently has no statutory powers in relation to executive pay at Network Rail.

Railways

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the rail improvement schemes  (a) between Liverpool and Leeds and  (b) around Sheffield are for which funding was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Budget Statement of 22 June 2010; how much each such scheme will cost; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: The improvement scheme between Liverpool and Leeds via Manchester consists of various network improvements to reduce journey times between these cities. The scheme relating to Sheffield consists of line speed improvements on the Midland Main Line between London, Nottingham and Sheffield via Derby. Both these schemes are under development by Network Rail. The cost of each scheme will be finally determined once the development work has been completed.

Railways: Cycling

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the budget allocated by his Department for improving cycling facilities at rail stations.

Theresa Villiers: £4 million has been made available through Cycling England for four flagship Bike 'n' Ride train operating companies. Over the two years 2009-11, Virgin Trains, Merseyrail, Northern Rail and South West Trains will be improving cycle facilities at stations across their network.
	Future budgets will depend on decisions to be made in the comprehensive spending review.

Railways: Fares

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what plans he has for future levels of regulated rail fares;
	(2)  whether he plans to retain the formula for regulated rail fare increases of RPI inflation plus 1%.

Theresa Villiers: The Government are committed to fairness on rail fares. We hope to be able to keep the current formula for the cap on regulated fares, but we will need to wait until further work has been done on the spending settlement before making a final decision on the fare formula for next year.

Railways: Freight

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the use of rail freight; and what support he plans to provide to freight companies and hauliers which transport goods using rail.

Theresa Villiers: The Government currently support the transfer of freight from road to rail, where it is practical and economically and environmentally sustainable to do so.
	While I recognise the benefits that grant funding to encourage modal shift from road to rail freight can bring, the current financial climate means that we will have to make difficult spending decisions across Government. Decisions on the future of freight grant schemes will therefore be reached as part of the Spending Review.

Railways: Repairs and Maintenance

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on funding local railway improvements; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: Local authorities have the power to fund railway improvements and can use locally determined budgets for this purpose. Government funding for local transport will be considered as part of the Spending Review.

Rolling stock

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what new rolling stock orders have been placed for each rail franchise since 2007.

Theresa Villiers: Rolling stock orders for franchised operators since 2007 are as shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Franchise  Order date  Type  Vehicles 
			 Southern May 2007 EMU 48 
			 London Midland August 2007 EMU 148 
			 London Midland December 2007 DMU 69 
			 Chiltern Railway January 2008 DMU 8 
			 Southern March 2008 EMU 44 
			 Virgin West Coast September 2008 EMU 106

Thameslink Railway Line

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 28 June 2010,  Official Report, column 366W, on the Thameslink railway line, when a decision will be made on the way in which Wimbledon loop services will operate after the completion of the Thameslink programme.

Theresa Villiers: I anticipate that a decision on this matter will be taken some two years before the date of the timetable change, in line with normal railway industry planning timescales.

Thameslink Railway Line

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 28 June 2010,  Official Report, column 366W, on the Thameslink railway line, whether the public will be consulted on the way in which Wimbledon loop services will operate after the completion of the Thameslink programme.

Theresa Villiers: It is a requirement of their franchise agreements that train operating companies must carry out public consultation on timetable changes.

Transport for London: Finance

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Mayor of London on the budget of Transport for London.

Theresa Villiers: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Mayor on a variety of London transport issues, including funding.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what matters  (a) within and  (b) outside his listed Ministerial responsibilities the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport answers questions for written answer.

Norman Baker: The details of my ministerial responsibilities, which are published on the Department for Transport's website, are as follows:
	Regional and Local Transport
	Buses and Taxis-including concessionary fares
	Walking and Cycling
	Accessibility and Equalities
	Alternatives to travel
	Light rail and trams
	Natural environment
	Parking
	Traffic management
	Corporate issues

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Aid Expenditure: Legislation

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to meet the 0.7 per cent. aid target before the UN Millennium Development Goals summit in September 2010.

Andrew Mitchell: This Government are fully committed to our target of spending 0.7% of national income on development assistance from 2013. We will enshrine this commitment in law as swiftly as the parliamentary timetable allows.

Centre for Progressive Health Financing

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received on the work of the Centre for Progressive Health Financing.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) has received representations from country governments including Liberia and Sierra Leone, both of which currently receive DFID support for health financing, and from a group of UK-based NGOs represented by Save the Children (UK).
	I have recently initiated a review of DFID's aid programmes to determine how we can achieve better value for money for the taxpayer and accelerate progress towards the millennium development goals. The way in which we will take forward our support for health financing will be determined as part of this review.

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether all of the £200 million of additional aid money he announced on 10 June 2010 will be programmed under the authority of the Secretary of State for International Development alone.

Andrew Mitchell: I confirm that all of the £200 million of additional aid money for Afghanistan announced on 10 June 2010 will be programmed under my authority. As with all aid spending the £200 million will be in line with the OECD DAC definition.

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development from which of his Department's budget lines the additional £200 million of additional aid money for Afghanistan announced on 10 June 2010 will be taken.

Andrew Mitchell: I have commissioned a review of the Department for International Development's (DFID's) aid programmes, which will inform the allocation of aid for the next Spending Review period (2011-12 to 2014-15). Most of the £200 million will be allocated as part of this review, with any allocation during 2010-11 coming from unallocated contingency funds, including savings from low priority programmes and from waste and inefficiency under the last Government.

Departmental NDPBs

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the address is of the head office of each non-departmental public body for which his Department is responsible.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) is responsible for one non-departmental public body, the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC).
	The head office of CSC is at Woburn House, 20-24 Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9HF.

Overseas Aid

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the overseas development budget is for 2010-11.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) budget for 2010-11 remains at £7.8 billion. Projections for the overall level of official development assistance for 2010-11 will be set out in the Spending Review later this year.

INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE

Manpower

John Mann: To ask The hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority how many staff IPSA employs; and how many it will employ in October 2010.

Charles Walker: The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has informed me that as of 7 July 2010, it employs 81 staff (80.5 FTE), of whom 27 are permanent and 54 are temporary.
	The staffing levels in October 2010 will be dependent on the outcome of the organisational review. IPSA's intention is to reduce these numbers to approximately 55 as it reaches a steady state.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Conferences

Robert Halfon: To ask the Leader of the House what estimate he has made of his Office's expenditure on  (a) organisation of and  (b) attendance at conferences in each year since 1997.

George Young: The Office of the Leader of the House joined the Cabinet Office in 2007. Information prior to 2007 can therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Since 2007, the Office has incurred no costs for the organisation of conferences.
	Information about the attendance of Leaders' Office staff at conferences is not held centrally and can therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Lost Property

Pete Wishart: To ask the Leader of the House what property has been recorded as  (a) lost and  (b) stolen from his Office in the last 12 months; and what estimate has been made of the cost of the replacement of that property.

George Young: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office.
	I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Cabinet Office today.

EDUCATION

Academies

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether there will be a standard Academy Arrangement which will be used between new Academy Schools and his Department.

Nick Gibb: We intend to publish a model funding agreement shortly to be used between new Academy schools and the Department.

Academies: Cheshire

Edward Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in the Cheshire East local authority area have expressed an interest in becoming academies.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 29 June 2010
	 The lists of schools that have expressed an interest in converting to academy status is published on the Department of Education's website, at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/academies
	The lists will be updated frequently.

Academies: Nutrition

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether proposed Academy Arrangements will require academies to comply with nutritional standards for school meals.

Nick Gibb: Some existing academies are required to comply with these standards through their funding agreements. However, new academies will not be required to comply with nutritional standards for school meals: they will be free to promote healthy eating and good nutrition as they see fit.

British Educational Communications and Technology Agency

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the total amount saved in school and college budgets attributable to the intervention of Becta in the procurement of IT equipment since 2003.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 8 June 2010
	Total Office of Government Commerce audited cash savings from Becta's procurement frameworks for ICT equipment for schools and colleges from 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2010 total £248 million.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to increase the efficiency of the education maintenance allowance system in order to reduce costs.

Nick Gibb: We have identified and made a saving of £10 million from the administration of the education maintenance allowance. This saving arises from the development of a more efficient system for processing EMA applications.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether education maintenance allowance (EMA) will continue to be paid in full in  (a) the current academic year and  (b) subsequent academic years; what his Department's policy is on the long-term retention of EMA; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: I can confirm that the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) will be paid in full in the 2010/11 academic year. The budget for EMA for 2010-11 is £564 million. Longer term plans for financial support for students aged between 16 and 19 will be considered in the context of the Comprehensive Spending Review in the autumn.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for how long he plans to suspend the payment of bonuses under the Education Maintenance Allowance scheme.

Nick Gibb: We have no plans to reverse the decision made by the previous Government to stop paying bonuses on top of weekly Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) payments.

Education: Finance

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what savings he plans to make from the budget for learner support in the next 12 months.

Nick Gibb: In addition to the £10 million savings in the administration of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for 2010-11, a further £5 million has been saved from several other learner support schemes through efficiencies in administration and some lower take-up.

Education: VAT

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the change in the level of valued added tax local education authorities will be required to pay in financial year  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 28 June 2010
	 The Department has not yet assessed the implications of the recent Budget changes around VAT. It will form part of our considerations for the spending review which is now in hand.

Education: Worcestershire

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to increase the funding which Worcestershire local education authority receives from his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: We have made public our intention to hold a spending review this autumn, to conclude on 20 October. We expect to launch a consultation on school funding in the summer.

Financial Services: Education

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to include the provision of financial education within the National Curriculum.

Nick Gibb: The Government announced on 7 June our intention to make changes to the National Curriculum. We will announce more detailed plans in due course.

Free School Meals: Streatham

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of pupils resident in Streatham constituency who would have been entitled to free school meals had the plan to extend provision been implemented.

Nick Gibb: The Department does not hold information about eligibility for free school meals by constituency.

Free Schools: Cheshire

Edward Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many expressions of interest there have been in the free schools scheme in the Cheshire East local authority area.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 29 June 2010
	The Department for Education has not received any formal proposals for free schools in the Cheshire East local authority area. Anyone who is interested in setting up a free school but is not yet ready to submit a formal proposal has been asked to contact the new schools network in the first instance.

Further Education: Greater London

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will review the level of London area cost uplifts for post-16 education and training in  (a) Greater London and  (b) the London borough of Brent.

Nick Gibb: All area costs for post-16 education were reviewed by the then Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in 2006. The outcome of that review was to retain the area cost uplifts as they were then, including for Greater London and the London borough of Brent. There are no current plans to review area cost uplifts for post-16 education and training.

History: Curriculum

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to publish the new history curriculum for secondary schools in England.

Nick Gibb: The Government intend to review the National Curriculum. We will announce more detailed plans in due course.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to finalise the formula for distribution of the pupil premium; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Government are committed to the introduction of the pupil premium for disadvantaged children. We will announce more details of our proposals in due course.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to allocate funding to the proposed pupil premium from the budgets currently allocated to schools.

Nick Gibb: The Government are committed to the introduction of the pupil premium for disadvantaged children. This will be funded from savings found outside the schools budget.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the per  (a) capita and  (b) pupil funding (i) in each local education authority area and (ii) from each local education authority was in the (A) primary and (B) secondary sector in each of the last four years.

Nick Gibb: School funding is allocated based upon pupil numbers, not population numbers, and so the Department for Education does not have funding figures on a per capita basis.
	The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) is distributed by the Department through a single guaranteed unit of funding per pupil for each local authority, so a primary/secondary split on a central to local government basis is not available.
	Per pupil funding figures for 2006-07 to 2009-10 for all local authorities in England are provided in the following table. These include the DSG and other grants, are for all funded pupils aged three to 19 and are in real terms:
	
		
			  Local authority revenue funding per pupil 
			  £ 
			   2006 - 07  2007 - 08  2008 - 09  2009 - 10 
			 Barking and Dagenham 4,960 5,240 5,270 5,390 
			 Barnet 4,990 5,130 5,200 5,340 
			 Barnsley 4,300 4,480 4,480 4,650 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 4,240 4,370 4,430 4,570 
			 Bedfordshire 4,210 4,350 4,410 - 
			 Bedford Borough - - - 4,680 
			 Central Bedfordshire - - - 4,470 
			 Bexley 4,510 4,670 4,720 4,820 
			 Birmingham 5,000 5,180 5,240 5,370 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 4,860 5,020 5,040 5,180 
			 Blackpool 4,430 4,590 4,620 4,760 
			 Bolton 4,410 4,590 4,600 4,710 
			 Bournemouth 4,150 4,290 4,300 4,450 
			 Bracknell Forest 4,310 4,470 4,500 4,650 
			 Bradford 4,640 4,830 4,870 5,010 
			 Brent 5,350 5,590 5,700 5,830 
			 Brighton and Hove 4,480 4,640 4,660 4,780 
			 Bristol, City of 4,890 5,050 5,050 5,130 
			 Bromley 4,350 4,510 4,590 4,730 
			 Buckinghamshire 4,310 4,450 4,510 4,640 
			 Bury 4,240 4,390 4,430 4,560 
			 Calderdale 4,380 4,530 4,570 4,700 
			 Cambridgeshire 4,080 4,210 4,280 4,410 
			 Camden 6,700 6,900 6,910 7,070 
			 Cheshire 4,200 4,350 4,430 - 
			 Cheshire East - - - 4,450 
			 Cheshire West and Chester - - - 4,660 
			 Cornwall 4,120 4,280 4,340 4,500 
			 Coventry 4,620 4,790 4,790 4,920 
			 Croydon 4,660 4,860 4,910 5,050 
			 Cumbria 4,290 4,430 4,430 4,570 
			 Darlington 4,360 4,540 4,550 4,680 
			 Derby 4,440 4,610 4,660 4,790 
			 Derbyshire 4,170 4,320 4,450 4,590 
			 Devon 4,070 4,220 4,280 4,400 
			 Doncaster 4,450 4,600 4,630 4,750 
			 Dorset 4,160 4,310 4,350 4,480 
			 Dudley 4,290 4,460 4,510 4,640 
			 Durham 4,480 4,640 4,730 4,900 
			 Ealing 5,350 5,540 5,620 5,790 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 4,060 4,210 4,270 4,410 
			 East Sussex 4,330 4,530 4,560 4,700 
			 Enfield 4,910 5,080 5,100 5,210 
			 Essex 4,250 4,400 4,450 4,560 
			 Gateshead 4,570 4,720 4,740 4,880 
			 Gloucestershire 4,110 4,260 4,370 4,480 
			 Greenwich 5,930 6,130 6,260 6,430 
			 Hackney 6,920 7,070 7,250 7,470 
			 Halton 4,780 4,960 4,960 5,070 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 6,330 6,550 6,490 6,630 
			 Hampshire 4,070 4,220 4,320 4,430 
			 Haringey 5,640 5,850 5,940 6,020 
			 Harrow 4,800 4,970 5,170 5,200 
			 Hartlepool 4,600 4,780 4,830 4,910 
			 Havering 4,460 4,600 4,670 4,800 
			 Herefordshire 4,100 4,270 4,320 4,450 
			 Hertfordshire 4,250 4,400 4,500 4,620 
			 Hillingdon 4,800 4,940 4,990 5,120 
			 Hounslow 5,180 5,340 5,380 5,490 
			 Isle of Wight 4,520 4,680 4,660 4,810 
			 Islington 6,430 6,710 6,660 6,810 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 6,490 6,610 6,530 6,700 
			 Kent 4,310 4,460 4,520 4,650 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 4,650 4,820 4,870 5,020 
			 Kingston upon Thames 4,670 4,790 4,850 4,960 
			 Kirklees 4,380 4,550 4,650 4,800 
			 Knowsley 4,800 5,040 5,080 5,310 
			 Lambeth 6,400 6,620 6,780 7,020 
			 Lancashire 4,320 4,480 4,520 4,660 
			 Leeds 4,410 4,560 4,610 4,730 
			 Leicester 4,660 4,870 4,860 5,040 
			 Leicestershire 3,920 4,050 4,150 4,270 
			 Lewisham 6,140 6,310 6,330 6,480 
			 Lincolnshire 4,230 4,380 4,410 4,530 
			 Liverpool 4,880 5,080 5,140 5,340 
			 Luton 4,740 4,920 4,960 5,120 
			 Manchester 5,150 5,410 5,430 5,570 
			 Medway 4,420 4,560 4,600 4,710 
			 Merton 4,820 4,970 5,010 5,130 
			 Middlesbrough 4,850 5,040 4,960 5,150 
			 Milton Keynes 4,480 4,630 4,710 4,850 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 4,620 4,800 4,840 4,950 
			 Newham 5,650 5,870 5,970 6,140 
			 Norfolk 4,210 4,360 4,410 4,540 
			 North East Lincolnshire 4,560 4,780 4,850 5,050 
			 North Lincolnshire 4,240 4,390 4,420 4,540 
			 North Somerset 4,120 4,260 4,310 4,450 
			 North Tyneside 4,360 4,490 4,520 4,660 
			 North Yorkshire 4,230 4,370 4,440 4,580 
			 Northamptonshire 4,130 4,280 4,360 4,460 
			 Northumberland 4,230 4,380 4,400 4,510 
			 Nottingham 5,110 5,330 5,330 5,430 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,150 4,330 4,390 4,500 
			 Oldham 4,610 4,790 4,820 4,970 
			 Oxfordshire 4,220 4,370 4,410 4,520 
			 Peterborough 4,550 4,700 4,790 4,920 
			 Plymouth 4,350 4,510 4,540 4,670 
			 Poole 4,090 4,230 4,250 4,370 
			 Portsmouth 4,430 4,600 4,650 4,800 
			 Reading 4,720 4,920 4,870 5,030 
			 Redbridge 4,580 4,770 4,820 4,960 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 4,510 4,670 4,750 4,930 
			 Richmond upon Thames 4,560 4,690 4,750 4,880 
			 Rochdale 4,680 4,860 4,900 5,050 
			 Rotherham 4,530 4,700 4,730 4,860 
			 Rutland 4,310 4,440 4,400 4,530 
			 Salford 4,860 5,060 5,050 5,220 
			 Sandwell 4,710 4,900 4,890 4,980 
			 Sefton 4,420 4,570 4,590 4,740 
			 Sheffield 4,390 4,570 4,650 4,780 
			 Shropshire 4,070 4,220 4,240 4,370 
			 Slough 4,900 5,070 5,130 5,270 
			 Solihull 4,100 4,210 4,270 4,420 
			 Somerset 4,080 4,230 4,350 4,480 
			 South Gloucestershire 3,970 4,110 4,150 4,230 
			 South Tyneside 4,640 4,820 4,910 5,090 
			 Southampton 4,530 4,700 4,750 4,850 
			 Southend-on-Sea 4,460 4,590 4,640 4,800 
			 Southwark 6,440 6,640 6,650 6,770 
			 St Helens 4,440 4,630 4,640 4,810 
			 Staffordshire 4,080 4,230 4,290 4,420 
			 Stockport 4,180 4,320 4,410 4,560 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 4,470 4,640 4,620 4,760 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 4,620 4,770 4,800 4,930 
			 Suffolk 4,100 4,260 4,320 4,470 
			 Sunderland 4,470 4,630 4,680 4,820 
			 Surrey 4,240 4,370 4,450 4,580 
			 Sutton 4,590 4,740 4,810 4,950 
			 Swindon 4,110 4,250 4,310 4,430 
			 Tameside 4,360 4,520 4,560 4,660 
			 Telford and Wrekin 4,300 4,510 4,510 4,650 
			 Thurrock 4,500 4,670 4,700 4,860 
			 Torbay 4,280 4,440 4,460 4,580 
			 Tower Hamlets 7,020 7,280 7,350 7,540 
			 Trafford 4,200 4,340 4,410 4,560 
			 Wakefield 4,350 4,510 4,550 4,630 
			 Walsall 4,510 4,690 4,700 4,810 
			 Waltham Forest 5,180 5,340 5,330 5,490 
			 Wandsworth 5,650 5,880 5,980 6,190 
			 Warrington 4,090 4,250 4,320 4,450 
			 Warwickshire 4,130 4,270 4,320 4,450 
			 West Berkshire 4,390 4,530 4,570 4,700 
			 West Sussex 4,170 4,310 4,370 4,470 
			 Westminster 6,040 6,310 6,260 6,370 
			 Wigan 4,300 4,470 4,510 4,640 
			 Wiltshire 4,060 4,200 4,250 4,390 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 4,420 4,580 4,630 4,770 
			 Wirral 4,420 4,610 4,630 4,770 
			 Wokingham 4,160 4,320 4,360 4,520 
			 Wolverhampton 4,670 4,860 4,940 5,100 
			 Worcestershire 4,080 4,210 4,300 4,430 
			 York 4,120 4,260 4,360 4,500 
			  Notes: 1. This covers funding through the Dedicated Schools Grant, School Standards Grant, School Standards Grant (Personalisation) and Standards Fund as well as funding from the Learning and Skills Council; it excludes grants which are not allocated at LA level. 2. Price Base: Real term figures using 31 March 2010 GDP Deflators at 2008-09 prices. 3. These figures are for all funded pupils aged three to 19. 4. Rounding: Per pupil figures are rounded to the nearest £10. 5. Figures exclude Isles of Scilly and City of London. 6. From 2009-10 due to Local Government re-organisation, Bedfordshire split to become Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire and Cheshire became Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the per pupil funding was for  (a) primary and  (b) secondary pupils in England in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: Since 2006-07, the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) has been the main source of school funding. As the DSG is distributed through a single guaranteed unit of funding per pupil and is distributed from central Government to local government, a primary/secondary split on a central to local government basis is not available.
	Average per pupil unit of funding figures for 2005-06 to 2009-10 for England are provided in the table. The figures are for all funded pupils aged three to 19 and are in real terms:
	
		
			  Revenue funding per pupil 
			   England average 
			 2005-06 (baseline) 4,340 
			 2006-07 4,480 
			 2007-08 4,640 
			 2008-09 4,690 
			 2009-10 4,830 
			  Notes: 1. This covers funding through the Dedicated Schools Grant, School Standards Grant, School Standards Grant (Personalisation) and Standards Fund as well as funding from the Learning and Skills Council; it excludes grants which are not allocated at LA level. 2. Price Base: real term figures using 31 March 2010 GDP Deflators at 2008-09 prices. 3. These figures are for all funded pupils aged three to 19. 4. Rounding: per pupil figures are rounded to the nearest £10.

Schools: Management

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether free schools would be required to give priority in admissions to  (a) children with special educational needs and  (b) looked-after children under his proposals for such schools.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 28 June 2010
	Free schools will be bound by the same school admissions code that governs all publicly funded schools. This requires that the highest priority for admission is given to looked-after children. They are also required by the code to ensure their arrangements do not 'unfairly disadvantage a child with a disability or special educational needs'.
	Local authorities will also be able name free schools in statements of special educational needs (SEN), in the same way as they are currently able to do for academies.

Schools: Management

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether a free school would be required to admit a pupil with a statement of special educational needs if the school is named in such a statement under his proposals for such schools.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 28 June 2010
	A free school will be required to admit a pupil with a statement of special educational needs if the school is named in a statement. Free schools, like academies, are bound by the same school admissions code that governs all publicly funded schools.

Schools: Transport

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of 16 to 19 year-olds in  (a) full-time education and  (b) unwaged training are eligible for (i) free and (ii) subsidised transport between their home and their place of education.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is not available centrally as it is for local authorities and Passenger Transport Executives to determine locally what arrangements and support might be made available to young people in their area.

Sixth Form Education

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which local authorities have no secondary schools with sixth forms.

Nick Gibb: Local authorities which have no secondary schools with sixth forms are as follows:
	Bury
	City of London
	Isles of Scilly
	Middlesbrough
	Portsmouth
	Richmond Upon Thames
	Rutland
	Stockport.
	 Source
	EduBase 2

Special Educational Needs

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many applications for statements on special educational need have been made in each local authority area in each year since 1997.

Sarah Teather: Parents and schools can ask local authorities to carry out statutory assessments of children's special educational needs (SEN) with a view to the children being given statements. Information on these requests is not collected centrally. Information on the number of children whose assessments resulted in statements each year is published in Tables 2 and 3A of the Statistical First Release "Special Educational Needs in England: January 2010". This can be accessed at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000939/index.shtml

Special Educational Needs: Finance

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to allocate funding for children with additional educational needs to schools from 2010-11.

Nick Gibb: School funding for 2010-11 was the final year of a three year settlement agreed under the previous Government, and we have already stated we will not make changes to allocations that have already been made for 2010-11. Beyond 2010-11, this Government are committed to changes to the funding system through the introduction of a pupil premium for disadvantaged children. We will bring forward our proposals in due course.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Regulation

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which regulations affecting farming she has abolished since her appointment.

James Paice: I have not abolished any regulations relating to farming since I came to office. However, the Government are committed to bear down on the costs and number of regulations and I intend to review all planned and existing regulations. As part of that commitment the Task Force on Farming Regulations, to be chaired by Richard Macdonald, is being formed to identify ways to reduce the regulatory burden through a review of relevant regulations and their implementation. It will advise on how to achieve a risk-based system of regulation in the future and is due to produce its initial views in early 2011.
	All new regulations, including those affecting farming, will also be challenged by a new Reducing Regulation Committee.

Agriculture: Regulation

Edward Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to reduce the administrative burden placed upon farmers by regulations on nitrate vulnerable zones.

James Paice: The Nitrates Directive requires each member state to review its Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) designation and Nitrates Action Programme every four years.
	DEFRA will be working closely with the farming industry, other interested parties and the European Commission over the next two years to consider the ways in which the Nitrates Action Programme could be amended, with a view to implementing any changes from January 2013.
	In addition, the Task Force on Farming Regulations, to be chaired by Richard Macdonald, is being formed to identify ways to reduce regulatory burden through a review of relevant regulations and their implementation. It will advise on how to achieve a risk-based system of regulation in the future and produce its initial views in early 2011.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many individuals have been paid £200,000 or more under the single payment scheme in 2009; and how much was paid to each such recipient under that scheme.

James Paice: holding answer 30 June  2010
	The overall Single Payment Scheme (SPS) payments made to individuals who received £200,000 or more in 2009 and total amounts are reflected in the following table. The details for each recipient will be placed in the House Library.
	
		
			   Individuals  Total amount paid (£) 
			 2009 502 158,891,590.03 
		
	
	This reflects the 2009 claim payments made to date. Payments made to individuals in Euro have been converted to Sterling at 0.9093, the SPS 2009 scheme rate. The Rural Payments Agency continues to work on a small number of applications that are not yet validated for full payment.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what administration costs were incurred in respect of processing claims made under the single payment scheme in each of the last five years.

James Paice: holding answer 30 June 2010
	 The Rural Payments Agency uses a new model developed by PricewaterhouseCoopers for calculating administration costs in respect of processing claims made under the single payments scheme. The earliest available data using this model is from the year 2007-08.
	The 2005-06 and 2006-07 costs were calculated using previous methodology, and as such the costs for each of the last five years are not directly comparable.
	Costs are as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 (1)750 
			 2006-07 713 
			 2007-08 1,317 
			 2008-09 1,286 
			 2009-10 (2)1,043 
			 (1 )The DEFRA review of RPA conducted by David Hunter reported in March 2007 an average of £750 per claim processed for the 2005 scheme. (2) Provisional until 2009-10 accounts are audited

Bees

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the effect of neo-nicotinoids on bees.

James Paice: holding answer 5 July 2010
	The UK pesticides regulatory body (the Health and Safety Executive's Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD)) has liaised with other EU regulatory authorities that have imposed restrictions on the use of these pesticides. It also reviews developments on how risks to bee health from the use of pesticides are assessed and monitored. CRD scientists attended the 10th International Symposium of the International Commission for Plant-Bee Relationships (ICPBR) on Hazards of Pesticides to Bees, in October 2008; no new scientific evidence was presented at this meeting, or more recently, to suggest a need for action on current UK pesticide authorisations.
	CRD would act on any substantive evidence should incidents occur in the UK and will continue to monitor research and developments in other EU member states and elsewhere to see if they are relevant to the UK.

Biosafety Protocol

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what position the EU plans to take at the Meeting of the Parties to the Caragena Protocol on Biosafety in October 2010.

James Paice: A set of conclusions were adopted by the Environment Council on 11 June to confirm the EU's overall priorities for the Cartagena Protocol meeting in October. The conclusions are published on the Council website at:
	www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/envir/115093.pdf

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to page 18 of the Coalition Agreement, what estimate she has made of the cost of conducting the science-led policy of badger control measures in areas with high and persistent levels of bovine tuberculosis.

James Paice: The coalition has committed that, as part of a package of measures, we will introduce a carefully managed and science-led policy of badger control in areas with high and persistent levels of bovine TB.
	We need to consider all the issues carefully, including the scientific evidence, to work out the detail of the package to ensure we get it right. We will be looking at vaccine and culling options as part of that package.
	We will set out our proposals in due course, including the estimated costs.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what percentage of bovine tuberculosis tests produced false positive results in  (a) each of the last 10 years and  (b) the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what steps her Department has taken to implement the recommendation made in the 2006 report on the review of tuberculosis testing procedures that tuberculosis testing audit and assurance procedures should be enhanced;
	(3)  what percentage of cattle slaughtered following positive bovine tuberculosis tests are found to be free of tuberculosis when tested after slaughter;
	(4)  how many cattle herds were tested for bovine tuberculosis in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and in what percentage of those herds at least one cow tested positive.

James Paice: holding answer 5 July 2010
	An effective TB testing audit process has already been drawn up and used to audit Animal Health staff engaged in TB testing. Consideration is currently being given as to how best to extend the audit process to all TB testers on an ongoing basis.
	The tuberculin skin test has a specificity of 99.9%, which means that when applied to cattle without TB in Great Britain, there is a one in 1,000 chance that a non-infected animal will be wrongly classified as a reactor. The probability of false positives is therefore 0.1%.
	A failure to detect lesions of TB through post-mortem inspections or to culture M.bovis (the causative organism of the disease) in the laboratory does not imply that a test reactor was not infected with bovine TB. In the early stages of the disease it is not always possible to observe lesions during post-mortem examination and, due to the fastidious nature of this organism it is very difficult to isolate it from tissue samples without lesions. The primary purpose of post mortem inspections and culture is not to establish the presence or absence of disease, but rather to identify the severity and strain of infection. It is therefore not possible to say what percentage of cattle slaughtered following positive bovine tuberculosis tests are found to be free of tuberculosis when tested after slaughter.
	During the last 12 months 42,262 cattle herds that were not under movement restrictions were tested for bovine Tuberculosis in England. Of these herds 7.9% had at least one animal test positive.
	 Notes:
	Data from Vetnet is produced three months in arrears and the latest report available is for March 2010. Therefore data cannot be provided for the last three months.
	Data from Vetnet is provisional and subject to change as more data becomes available.
	 Source:
	Vetnet-Animal Health Database

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many lay vaccinators the Food and Environment Research Agency has trained for the Badger Vaccine Deployment Project.

James Paice: The Food and Environment Research Agency has not yet trained lay vaccinators as part of the Badger Vaccine Deployment Project. Training is due to commence this summer.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what budget and how many staff the Food and Environment Research Agency  (a) had in 2009-10 and  (b) has for (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12 to train lay vaccinators for the Badger Vaccine Deployment Project.

James Paice: No training for lay vaccinators was carried out in 2009-10.
	Training will draw on a pool of 15 Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) staff, all of whom will be accredited as trainers. All of these staff will also be working on a range of other Fera projects.
	Practical training of lay vaccinators will take place alongside the trapping and vaccinating of badgers in the Stroud area. The total budget for this work in 2010-11 is£614,000 and in 2011-12 is £418,000.

Departmental Official Photographs

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has spent on official photographs of Ministers since the formation of the present administration.

Richard Benyon: The Department has spent £176.25 on official photographs of the new ministerial team since their appointment on 11 May 2010.

Departmental Reorganisation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to relocate officials working in her Department from central London to Bassetlaw.

Richard Benyon: We have no specific relocation plans within the Department although we are always looking to maximise the most efficient use of our estate. We will bear Bassetlaw in mind in any such decisions.

Dogs

Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department plans to take to promote responsible dog ownership; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: On 1 June a wide ranging public consultation on changes to the dangerous dog laws and the promotion of responsible dog ownership closed. Options presented in the consultation included the introduction of dog control notices and compulsory microchipping, among others. The consultation received 4,250 responses, which will need to be analysed before any action relating to dangerous dog legislation is considered.

EU Grants and Loans: Northern Ireland

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to Question 978, what the outcome was of the discussions with  (a) the UK Permanent Representative and  (b) the European Commission on (i) disallowance and (ii) the £60 million financial correction levied on the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development Northern Ireland.

James Paice: The European Commission has confirmed financial corrections in respect of the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) Northern Ireland of £13,123,106.40 and €18,600,258.71. These sums mostly relate to payments made by DARD and funded by the Commission during EU financial years 2005-07 (i.e. 16 October 2004 to 15 October 2007) that concerned the Extensification Premium Scheme (Scheme Year 2004) and the Single Payment Scheme (Scheme Years 2005 and 2006). The UK formally recorded its continued concerns with the Commission that these financial corrections are wholly disproportionate to any actual risk to the Fund and that the Northern Ireland Authorities are therefore actively considering referring the case to the European Court of Justice. Discussions with the Commission on proposed financial corrections covering later financial years remain ongoing.

Flood Control

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for how many homes the Environment Agency plans to improve flood protection in 2010-11.

Richard Benyon: In 2010-11, the Environment Agency plans to improve flood protection for 79,000 households in England.

Oak Processionary Moth

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take to eradicate the oak processionary moth.

James Paice: The Forestry Commission has put in place an emergency programme to deal with this pest and is working with officials from the affected London boroughs, the Food and Environment Research Agency, the Health Protection Agency and others to try to prevent its spread and to eradicate it.
	A team of dedicated surveyors carries out inspections of sites where oak trees are present. Where the pest is found, owners are required either to have affected trees sprayed with insecticide to kill off the moth's larvae, or to have nests removed and destroyed before a new generation of adults emerges to breed.
	The moth is thought to have been introduced into the area on infected oak trees used for landscaping work. Temporary import restrictions have therefore been put in place and a request has been made to have the pest listed in the EU plant health directive so that these restrictions may be made permanent.

Rural Payments Agency

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  on what dates she has met the chief executive of the Rural Payments Agency since her appointment; and what issues were discussed at each such meeting;
	(2)  on what date she expects completion of the work on the Rural Payments Agency's computer system; and what her most recent estimate is of the costs of completing such work;
	(3)  what discussions she has had with the chief executive of the Rural Payments Agency on the completion of single payment  (a) part-payments for 2008 and  (b) part and full payments for 2009; what steps the Agency is taking to ensure such payments are made promptly; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: An independent review of the Rural Payments Agency, commissioned by DEFRA, concluded recently. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I are studying the recommendations, which cover IT as well as a range of other issues, and will publish them shortly along with the Government's response to the review. In the meantime, the agency is taking all steps possible to make either full or part payments in respect of outstanding single payment scheme claims. I intend to meet the RPA to discuss the handling of payments in considerable detail.

Rural Payments Agency: Standards

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the performance of the Rural Payments Agency.

James Paice: An independent Review of the Rural Payments Agency, commissioned by DEFRA, concluded recently. The Government will publish the recommendations of the Review and our response to it shortly.

Tunnel Tech

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what medical experts have been asked to give evidence in the mushroom composting investigation into Tunneltech initiated by her Department through the Health Protection Agency and the local primary care trust.

James Paice: The following medical experts were involved in the preparation of the report referred to in the oral question from the hon. Member on 24 June 2010,  Official Report, column 415, the Director of Public Health for Bassetlaw and Nottinghamshire County Primary Care Trust; consultants in public health at the Primary Care Trust; consultants in health protection at the Health Protection Agency; the Health Protection Agency's Composting Working Group; and at least three general practitioner practices in the area around the Tunneltech plant.

HOME DEPARTMENT

ACPO Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service and National Wildlife Crime Unit

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the future funding of  (a) the ACPO Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service and (b) the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

James Brokenshire: As the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his emergency Budget on 22 June, the Government are currently conducting a spending review. The review, to be published on 20 October, will set final departmental settlements. I will make decisions about future funding of individual areas of Home Office business in light of the outcome of the spending review.

Alcoholic Drinks: Retail Trade

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in respect of cases where proceedings have been completed, which five retailers were prosecuted the most times for offences involving the illegal sale of alcohol in 2009; and how many prosecutions were brought against each.

James Brokenshire: Statistics for 2009 are planned for publication in October 2010.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there were for the offence of selling alcohol to juveniles in 2009; and how many of those convicted had their alcohol licence revoked.

James Brokenshire: Statistics for 2009 are planned for publication in October 2010.

Asylum: Legal Aid and Assistance

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will postpone decisions on applications for asylum in all cases where the applicants were receiving legal aid and assistance from Refugee and Migrant Justice until arrangements have been made for alternative legal aid and assistance to be provided to them; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: While the UK Border Agency will take every care to ensure that former Refugee and Migrant Justice clients are not unreasonably affected and will treat individual cases sensitively, we are unable to give a blanket assurance that no adverse immigration decisions will be taken on their former clients until a new legal representative has been appointed.

British Nationality: War Crimes

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire of 24 March 2010,  Official Report, columns 351-52W, on the UK Border Agency's War Crimes Unit, how many people were refused citizenship, denied leave to enter/remain, or excluded from the Refugee convention in each year since 2004.

Damian Green: The UKBA does not collate statistics on the outcomes of all recommendations made by its specialist research team. Decisions to exclude someone from refugee protection under article 1F (a) of the Refugee Convention have been recorded separately since October 2007. As at the end of May 2010, UKBA has recorded that 31 decisions to exclude have been implemented. This figure is not provided under National Statistics protocols. It is therefore provisional and subject to change.

Corruption

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions visa bans have been used to prevent people from each country of origin considered to be involved in corruption from travelling to the UK in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: In the last five years, a total of seven people have been excluded from the UK by the Secretary of State because of involvement in corruption (six in 2007 and one in 2008). Six of the individuals were Kenyan and one was Zimbabwean. Any application for entry clearance or leave to enter from a person who has been excluded from the UK by the Secretary of State will be refused under Paragraph 320(6) of the Immigration Rules.
	This information is based on management information and as such has not been quality assured. It is provisional and subject to change.

Crime

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her most recent estimate is of the annual cost to the public purse of crime.

James Brokenshire: The information required to answer this question is not collected routinely. The latest Home Office estimates of the costs of crime were published in Home Office Online Report 30/05. They relate to crimes committed against individuals and households in the year 2003-04, and are broken down into a range of cost categories, some of which cover public sector expenditure or the use of public sector resources. Table 4.1 of Home Office Online Report 30/05 indicates that crime committed against individuals and households in 2003-04 was estimated to have resulted in criminal justice system costs of £7,096 million and health service costs of £2,356 million. It was also estimated to have cost £4,253 million in lost output due to time off work, and some of this is likely to have been borne by the public sector. Financial transfers are not included in these estimates, so they do not include compensation paid to victims of crime through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. Costs to the public purse due to crime committed against businesses and the public sector itself, as well as a result of anti-social behaviour, are also not included in these estimates.

Departmental Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent  (a) in total and  (b) on staff costs on activities to promote equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people her Department employs for that purpose.

Lynne Featherstone: The Department has statutory responsibilities set out in equality legislation, both as an employer and provider of services.
	In discharging these responsibilities, the Home Department under the last Government spent the following:
	2007-08: £1,725,000, of which £837,000 were staff costs.
	2008-09: £1,683,000, of which £1,071,000 were staff costs.
	2009-10: £1,518,000, of which £1,026,000 were staff costs.
	The number of people employed specifically on equality and diversity is 20.

DNA: Databases

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many records on the national DNA database she expects to be destroyed in the next 12 months.

James Brokenshire: At present, a DNA profile will be retained indefinitely unless the relevant Chief Officer of Police as data owner decides to authorise its deletion from the National DNA Database.
	The Government are committed to a policy on retention of DNA profiles that provides the protections of the Scottish model, under which the profiles from those arrested but not convicted are only retained in serious cases and for a limited period. We will bring forward shortly detailed proposals for legislative change to give effect to our policy.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research her Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on a link between competence in the English language and the likelihood of overstaying following the issue of a student visa.

Damian Green: The Government will be reviewing the non-economic immigration routes with a view to bringing forward proposals in due course, and this will include detailed consideration of the student routes. The UK Border Agency has analysed information on levels of abuse based on nationality, and on students not enrolling on courses or discontinuing study as part of tier four review undertaken earlier this year. As tier four of the points-based system was only launched just over a year ago, on 31 March 2009, many of the visas issued under the new student route have not yet expired and consequently no specific research has yet been commissioned or evaluated on the links between overstaying and competence in the English language.
	I have asked for a thorough evaluation of the student system to be undertaken in the coming months. The aim of that work will be to ensure that the right balance is struck between providing a user-friendly route for bona fide students and education providers and keeping out those who would seek to abuse the student system.

Foreign Workers

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many work permits have been issued to non-EU workers in each occupation in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many work permit intracompany transfers were granted in respect of workers of each  (a) nationality and  (b) occupation for each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many intracompany transfer work permits were granted to each of the three companies with the largest number of such grants in the last year for which figures are available.

Damian Green: The number of work permit intra company transfers granted to each of the three companies with the largest number of grants in 2008, which is the last year for which figures are available, are: 4,470; 3,065; and 2,385. The other information requested is detailed in Annexes A, B, and C:
	Annex A: Number of work permits issued to non-EU workers in each occupation in each year since 1997.
	Annex B: Number of work permit intra company transfers granted by nationality in each year since 1997.
	Annex C: Number of work permit intra company transfers granted by occupation in each year since 1997.
	These Annexes have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Immigration: Applications

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken to process applications for  (a) post-study work visas,  (b) indefinite leave to remain based on long-term residency,  (c) certificate of approval for marriage and  (d) leave to remain was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Damian Green: The average processing times are as follows:
	 1. Post-study work visas :
	Financial year 2009-10: 37 calendar days
	April 2010 to May 2010: 23 calendar days
	 2. Indefinite leave to remain based on long-term residency :
	Financial year 2009-10: 465 calendar days
	April 2010 to May 2010: 240 calendar days
	 3. Certificate of approval :
	Financial Year 2009-10: 86 calendar days
	April 2010 to May 2010: 99 calendar days
	 4. Leave to remain (LTR) :
	
		
			  LTR cases by category in calendar days 
			   Financial year 2009-10  April 2010 to May 2010 
			 Employment 37 30 
			 Family Route 191 100 
			 Protection 403 252 
			 Study 78 68 
			 Visiting the UK 121 83 
			 Total LTR 86 64 
			  Notes: 1. The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. 2. All data extracts measure applications despatched between two dates. 3. Average Processing Time calculated from application raised date and date despatched. 4. Post-study work visas defined by the following case types: Tier one (T1) Highly Skilled (HS)-UK Graduate Worker (Post Study)-Extension, T1 HS-Post Study-International (Int.), T1 HS-(Revised) Post Study-Int. 5. Indefinite leave to remain (based on long-term residency) defined by the following two case types: Long Residency (10 Year)-ILR, Long Residency (14 Year)-ILR. 6. Certificate of Approval defined by the following case types: Certificate of Approval (Civil Partnership), Certificate of Approval (Marriage).

Passports: Intelligence Services

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to ensure that British passports are not used by foreign intelligence services.

Damian Green: The UK passport is one of the most secure documents of its kind, fully meeting rigorous international standards. This security is delivered through a combination of physical and electronic security features. Since 2006 individuals have been biometrically linked to their passports through their photograph contained in an electronic chip embedded in the document. The chip cannot be altered without Border Control officers becoming aware that the passport has been tampered with. UK passports also have a range of physical security measures designed to prevent forgery and tampering. A new design of UK passport will be issued from 5 October 2010. It will contain new security printing features to combat fraud.
	The Identity and Passport Service also has a range of measures in place to detect and deter passport fraud which led to the IPS preventing around 17,000 fraudulent applications in the last two years. These include:
	checking biographical information to ensure that the identity claimed on the application form is real, living, and can be linked to the customer through checks against a range of public and private sector databases;
	the development of facial recognition systems to check applicant images against a database of images of suspected fraudsters;
	checking applicants against increasingly sophisticated internal watch files including databases of infant deaths and passports reported lost or stolen;
	strengthening its business processes for identity authentication, and training and support for passport examiners and specialist fraud units; and
	interviews for all first-time adult customers.
	These measures are continuously assessed and attempted frauds and forgeries analysed to ensure security is maintained and to identify opportunities for further strengthening of the passport and passport issuing processes.

Police: Manpower

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police community support officers and  (b) police officers there were in each police authority area on 1 July 2010.

Nick Herbert: Figures on numbers of police community support officers and police officers for each police force area are collected by the Home Office twice a year, covering 30 March and 30 September.
	The most recently published figures relate to 30 September 2009, and were published in the Home Office statistical bulletin 'Police Service Strength England and Wales 30 September 2009'-available on-line at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosbo0310.pdf
	Figures for 30 March 2010 will be published on 22 July.

Police: Retirement

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the  (a) minimum and  (b) average early retirement costs for a police officer whose services are no longer required;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the average early retirement cost in respect of a police officer with  (a) 20,  (b) 15,  (c) 10 and  (d) five or fewer years of service whose service is no longer required.

Nick Herbert: No such estimates have been made. There is no provision in the police pension schemes for early retirement of a police officer whose services are no longer required. There is separate provision for the early retirement of chief officers in certain circumstances, which is detailed in Police Negotiating Board Joint Circular five of 2004 as amended by Circular three of 2010.

Yvonne Fletcher

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will discuss with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs the matter of assistance for the Metropolitan police to gain access to Libya for the purposes of its investigation into the murder of PC Yvonne Fletcher.

Nick Herbert: The murder of WPC Fletcher was a terrible crime and her family deserve to know the truth. The investigation into her murder is continuing and remains an operational matter for the police. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is in regular contact with the Metropolitan Police Service and continues to press the Libyan Government to allow them to return. On 31 May, the Foreign Secretary raised the WPC Fletcher case with the Libyan Foreign Minister, Musa Kusa.

TREASURY

Budget June 2010

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish  (a) the slides in his Department's presentation on its assumptions of the effects of the measures in the 2010 Budget and  (b) the analysis supporting the presentation.

David Gauke: The Government published the impact of measures in the 2010 Budget in the Budget document
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/junebudget_easyread.htm
	and the Office for Budget Responsibility has published the Budget forecast and supporting assumptions.

Capital Gains Tax

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what economic modelling his Department undertook to determine the proposed level at which  (a) capital gains tax,  (b) entrepreneurs' relief and  (c) the annual exempt amount would be set;
	(2)  what  (a) research and  (b) impact assessments he undertook in deciding on his proposal for capital gains tax in the June 2010 Budget;
	(3)  what estimate his Department has made of the revenue which would accrue to the Exchequer from capital gains tax if the income tax rate for those with an income above the higher rate threshold were  (a) 18,  (b) 19,  (c) 20,  (d) 25,  (e) 30,  (f) 35 and  (g) 40 per cent.

David Gauke: The policy costings document published alongside the 2010 Emergency Budget Book sets out the methodology for arriving at such estimates and the likely effects on revenue:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_costings.pdf
	Impact assessments are not required for changes which only impact on individuals.

Child Benefit : Camden

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are in receipt of child benefit in  (a) Hampstead and Kilburn constituency and  (b) the London borough of (i) Camden and (ii) Brent.

David Gauke: The latest information on the number of families receiving child benefit, by each parliamentary constituency, local authority and region is available in the HMRC snapshot publication "Child Benefit Statistics Geographical Analysis. August 2009". This can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/chb-geog-aug09.pdf

Child Trust Fund : Tower Hamlets

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children in  (a) Bethnal Green and Bow and  (b) Tower Hamlets have received payments from the Child Trust Fund in each year since its inception.

Mark Hoban: Each Child Trust Fund account that is opened currently receives a payment of £250 from the Government with an additional payment of £250 being made in the case of children in lower income families. Statistics showing the level of Child Trust Fund opening in each parliamentary constituency and local authority area can be viewed on HM Revenue and Customs' website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/stats.htm

Credit Unions

Frank Dobson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to facilitate the use of EU funds to support credit unions in England.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 5 July 2010
	There are no general EU funds to support credit unions, although some regions of the UK are eligible for Structural Fund money and may make available part of such funds to credit unions. The Coalition Government has pledged to bring forward detailed proposals to foster diversity, promote mutuals and create a more competitive banking industry.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East of 10 June 2010,  Official Report, column 202W, on departmental mobile phones, what the  (a) purchase cost of the handset,  (b) network provider,  (c) type of tariff and  (d) name of the supplier was of each BlackBerry issued to Ministers in his Department.

Justine Greening: holding answer 24 June 2010
	Mobile phones and Blackberry devices issued for official use are provided under a pan-government framework. Blackberry handset costs are fixed at £125 when supplied as an upgrade or £235 for a new provision. According to central records all Treasury ministers were provided with new handsets as an upgrade on existing mobile accounts. All departmental mobile phone devices are provided by Vodafone and are supplied under the Teamwork/Teamwork and Blackberry tariff. The costs provided are excluding VAT.
	Treasury Blackberrys are configured in line with government security standards to enable them to be used for secure email communication.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to implement in full the recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman on Equitable Life, with particular reference to the recommendations on the amount of compensation.

Mark Hoban: We have committed to implement the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman's recommendation to make fair and transparent payments to Equitable Life policyholders, through an independent payment scheme, for their relative loss as a consequence of regulatory failure.
	The Parliamentary Ombudsman did not make any recommendations on the amount of compensation, but noted that:
	"it would be appropriate to consider the potential impact on the public purse"
	of any payment.

EU Budget

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the net contribution has been of the UK to the EU for  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008; and what he expects that contribution to be in (i) 2009, (ii) 2010 and (iii) 2011.

Justine Greening: Table 2.9 of the supplementary material to the emergency Budget 2010, available at
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_complete.pdf
	provides the latest projections for the UK's net contribution to the EU budget for the fiscal years 2008-09 (outturn) to 2015-16 (forecasts). The following table contains historical figures not covered in table 2.9.
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-08  2007-08 
			 Net payments to EU institutions 3.7 2.9 3.5 
			 Net contribution to EU budget 4.4 3.5 4.2 
			  Notes: 1. The "Net contribution to EU Budget" is the GNI, VAT and TOR contributions (gross contribution) less abatement less receipts. 2. The "Net payments to EU institutions" is equivalent to the net contribution to EU budget less that part of the UK's contribution to the EC budget that is attributed to the external aid programme (DFID/FCO DEL). 
		
	
	The Government are concerned about the UK's increasing contributions to the EU budget. The EU budget for the period 2007-13 was agreed by the previous Government in 2005, meaning the UK's contributions cannot easily be reduced. But at a time of painful fiscal consolidation across many EU member states, it is only fair that the EU budget play its part. As the Chancellor told a recent meeting of EU Finance Ministers, a freeze in EU spending should be considered. And looking ahead to the negotiation of the EU budget for the period 2014-20, the Government will strongly defend the UK's national interests, and ensure the EU budget is focused on those areas where the EU adds value.

EU Law: Fines

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  on how many occasions the Government has been fined by the European Commission since the rules pertaining to fining states for non-implementation of EU regulations were instituted; and what  (a) initial financial correction was set and  (b) end financial correction was paid after negotiations and appeal in each case;
	(2)  on how many occasions the Government has been found in persistent breach of obligations under EU regulations since 2001; what fines were levied in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: The United Kingdom has never incurred a financial penalty under article 260 of the treaty on the functioning of the European Union (or under the former article 228 (ex article 171) of the treaty establishing the European Community).

Pregnant Women: Grants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Hemsworth constituency have received the health in pregnancy grant since its introduction.

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many health in pregnancy grants were made in Lewisham East constituency in 2009-10.

David Gauke: This information is available only at disproportionate cost.

Public Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of gross public expenditure in 2008-09 prices  (a) spent in each year since 1990-91 and  (b) planned in each year to 2015-16; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: Total Managed Expenditure (TME) in 2008-09 prices since 1990-91 was as follows:-
	
		
			   Real TME  (2008-09 prices) £billion 
			 1990-91 370 
			 1991-92 390 
			 1992-93 408 
			 1993-94 415 
			 1994-95 427 
			 1995-96 431 
			 1996-97 422 
			 1997-98 419 
			 1998-99 422 
			 1999-2000 429 
			 2000-01 449 
			 2001-02 470 
			 2002-03 493 
			 2003-04 518 
			 2004-05 545 
			 2005-06 569 
			 2006-07 580 
			 2007-08 597 
			 2008-09 630 
			 2009-10 657 
			  Note: The 2009-10 figure is the estimated outturn. 
		
	
	TME in 2008-09 prices planned to 2015-16 is as follows:
	
		
			 2010-11 664 
			 2011-12 655 
			 2012-13 650 
			 2013-14 644 
			 2014-15 640 
			 2015-16 640

Public Expenditure: Wales

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposals in Budget 2010 on economic growth in  (a) Wales and  (b) Bridgend County borough council area in each of the next five years.

Danny Alexander: The June 2010 Budget will promote economic growth in all countries and regions of the UK including Wales and Bridgend.

Public Finance

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his policy of transparency on public spending applies to the review of capital expenditure approvals since 1 January 2010; and which projects are under review in each parliamentary constituency.

Danny Alexander: On 17 June I announced the outcome of a review of 217 projects that had been submitted to the Treasury for re-approval. These projects included both capital and resource expenditure. 12 projects were cancelled as they did not demonstrate value for money, were unaffordable or did not reflect the Government's priorities, and a further 12 projects were suspended as more detailed work is needed as part of the spending review process. As set out in the following lists, some of these decisions will affect specific constituencies while others relate to programmes that apply nationally:
	
		
			  1. List of projects cancelled 
			  Project  Constituency 
			 Stonehenge Visitor Centre(1) Salisbury 
			 Local Authority Leader Boards National Programme 
			 Sheffield Forgemasters International Limited Sheffield South East 
			 Rollout of the Future Jobs Fund(2) National Programme 
			 Six month offer recruitment subsidies National Programme 
			 Extension of Young Person's Guarantee to 2011-12 National Programme 
			 Two-year Jobseeker's Guarantee National Programme 
			 Active Challenge Routes - Walk England National Programme 
			 County Sports Partnerships National Programme 
			 North Tees and Hartlepool hospital Stockton North; Hartlepool 
			 Local Authority Business Growth Initiative (LABGI) National Programme 
			 Outukumpu Sheffield South East 
		
	
	
		
			  2. List of projects suspended 
			  Project  Constituency 
			 Libraries Modernisation Programme National Programme 
			 Sheffield Retail Quarter Sheffield Central 
			 Kent Thameside Strategic Transport Programme Gravesham and Dartford 
			 University Enterprise Capital Fund National Programme 
			 Newton Scholarships National Programme 
			 Health Research Support Initiative National Programme 
			 Leeds Holt Park Well-being Centre Leeds North West 
			 Birmingham Magistrates Court Birmingham Ladywood 
			 Successor Deterrent Extension to Concept Phase Long Lead Items(3) To be decided 
			 Search and Rescue Helicopters-joint procurement between DFT and MOD Manufactured in United States 
			 A14 Road Cambridge North West, South and South East; Huntingdon; Bedfordshire North East 
			 (1) Government funding for this programme has been withdrawn. If non-government funding is identified approval to proceed could be given. (2) Includes efficiency savings from tighter management of under performing Future Jobs Fund providers. (3) Successor Deterrent Extension to Concept Phase Long Lead Items will be reviewed as part of the broader Trident value for money review, which will report in the coming weeks. Any necessary long lead items would subsequently be procured from various suppliers in the US and UK. 
		
	
	I also laid in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament a full list of projects that were not cancelled or suspended as part of this exercise:
	http://www.parliament.uk/deposits/depositedpapers/2010/DEP2010-1327.doc
	For these projects the Treasury does not hold a complete and detailed list by constituency.

Public Sector: Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what savings he estimates will be made as a result of the two-year public sector pay freeze in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15.

Danny Alexander: This policy will save £3.3 billion a year by 2014-15. The freeze will also apply in health workforces, but savings will be recycled within the NHS.

Regional Growth Fund

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the 2010 Budget, what estimate he has made of the size of the regional growth fund to fund regional capital projects in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13.

Danny Alexander: The Deputy Prime Minister announced on 29 June 2010 that the regional growth fund for 2011-12 and 2012-13 would total £1 billion.
	A White Paper setting out further details will published in the autumn.

Revenue and Customs: Standards

Richard Fuller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps HM Revenue and Customs has taken to improve levels of accuracy in the processing of tax codes.

David Gauke: Following the issue of tax codes for 2010-11 in January 2010 HMRC identified several situations where, due to a mismatch between data held on HMRC's systems, and data supplied by employers and pensions providers individuals may have received an incorrect coding for 2010-11.
	Before the start of the new tax year, HMRC worked to identify and review cases where incorrect coding notices could have been issued. They corrected where necessary the underlying records through a mix of automated repairs and clerical reviews. They ensured that no codes were issued to employers or pension providers until they had conducted these reviews in order to prevent incorrect codes leading to incorrect tax deductions.
	HMRC completed reviewing the bulk of the cases in time for the start of 2010-11. Where no new code was issued employers continued to operate the code that applied in the old year which is a normal part of the PAYE process. HMRC continues to correct codes, where necessary, as part of its day to day work.
	HMRC has provided advice on its website about these issues and continues to be in regular contact with employers, pension providers and their representative bodies to ensure they are kept properly informed.
	Overall the introduction of the national insurance and pay as you earn service computer system (NPS) and work HMRC has conducted this year will ensure more accurate tax coding than ever before.

Savings Gateway

Frank Dobson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the take-up rate was in the Savings Gateway pilots.

Mark Hoban: Two pilots of the Saving Gateway were conducted between 2002 and 2007. 1,500 accounts were opened in the first pilot, and 22,000 in the second. The reports on both pilots which detail their sampling approaches are available via the HM Treasury website archive.
	The emergency Budget announced that the Saving Gateway will not be introduced in July 2010, given the need to reduce the UK's budget deficit.

Tax Allowances: Renewable Energy

David Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to bring forward proposals to offer tax reductions to house builders who integrate renewable energy into new developments.

Justine Greening: The feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme exists to incentivise investment in small-scale renewable energy, including renewable generation installed by developers. The Chancellor takes decisions regarding tax policy as part of the usual Budget process.

Tax Credit

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in receipt of tax credits have an annual income of over £30,000 in Lewisham East constituency;

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in receipt of tax credits have an income of over £30,000 in  (a) Ashfield,  (b) Argyll and Bute and  (c) Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency;

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many households in Hampstead and Kilburn constituency with an annual income over £30,000 are in receipt of tax credits;
	(2)  how many households in the London borough of  (a) Camden and  (b) Brent in receipt of tax credits have an annual income over £30,000.

David Gauke: Analysis of the number of households with incomes over £30,000 in the a fore mentioned constituencies is shown in Table 1 as follow. This information is based on provisional information of families receiving tax credits as at April 2010.
	
		
			  Constituency/London borough  Number of households with Income over £30,000 
			 Argyll and Bute 2,290 
			 Ashfield 3,225 
			 Brent 4,310 
			 Brent East 1,040 
			 Brent South 1,555 
			 Camden 1,200 
			 Hampstead and Highgate 515 
			 Lewisham East 1,445 
			 Na h-Eileanan an lar 780 
		
	
	Further details about the snapshot data used for this analysis can be found in the HMRC snapshot publication "Child and Working Tax Credits. Geographical Analysis, April 2010". This is available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm

Taxation: Banks

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the minutes of each meeting in his Department at which his proposed bank levy was discussed.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.

Taxation: Banks

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors he took into account in determining the level of his proposed bank levy.

Mark Hoban: The proposed rate reflects the risks posed by the banking sector to the financial system and wider economy, while taking account of current economic circumstances and the UK's competitive position.

VAT

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the proposed increase in the standard rate of value added tax on  (a) charities,  (b) road fuel prices,  (c) construction work for which value added tax is payable,  (d) the retail industry,  (e) low income pensioner households and  (f) the prospects for the economic situation.

David Gauke: The Budget's VAT rate increase was driven by the need to address the deficit, which will benefit everyone. The effects of the rate change are set out in Budget 2010:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_complete.pdf
	The associated impact assessment, which describes the compliance costs for business, was published alongside the Budget:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_impact_assessments.pdf
	The impact of the VAT increase depends on expenditure, which varies considerably even among households of similar composition. It also needs to be considered in the context of the Budget as a whole. Annex A provides an analysis of the distributional impact of the Budget:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_annexa.pdf
	In particular, paragraph C.58 sets out the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) views on the incidence of VAT. Paragraph C.54 and Table C8 describe the OBR's view of the effect on GDP over time of Budget measures, including VAT. G.39 and C.64 describe the OBR's projections of tax receipts, including VAT.

VAT: NHS and Local Government

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost will be in each year from 2010-11 onwards for which information is available to  (a) each NHS board and  (b) each local authority of the decision to increase the rate of value added tax.

David Gauke: This information is not available.
	Public bodies are funded inclusive of tax costs. There are schemes that allow local authorities to recover VAT in respect of their non business activities and NHS Trusts to recover VAT in respect of certain contracted out services. But the amount of VAT that such bodies do not recover is not routinely recorded.

Welfare Tax Credits

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in Makerfield constituency in receipt of tax credits have an income of over £30,000.

Kate Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in receipt of tax credits in Stretford and Urmston constituency have an income of over £30,000.

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in receipt of tax credits have an income of over £30,000 in Worsley and Eccles South constituency.

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in receipt of tax credits in  (a) Glasgow North and  (b) Ealing Central and Acton constituency have an income of over £30,000.

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in receipt of tax credits in  (a) Slough,  (b) Salisbury and  (c) Scarborough and Whitby constituency have an income of over £30,000.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in receipt of tax credits have an income of over £30,000 in Houghton and Sunderland South constituency.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in Kingston upon Hull North constituency in receipt of tax credits have an annual income over £30,000.

David Gauke: The number of households receiving tax credits with an income over £30,000 in the aforementioned constituencies are shown in Table 1 as follows:
	
		
			  Constituency  Number of households with income over £30,000 
			 Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush 975 
			 Eccles 2,455 
			 Glasgow Maryhill 775 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull North 1,815 
			 Makerfield 2,920 
			 Salisbury 3,220 
			 Scarborough and Whitby 2,065 
			 Slough 3,045 
			 Stretford and Urmston 2,800 
			 Sunderland South 2,010 
			 Worsley 2,580 
		
	
	These estimates are based on provisional information on families receiving tax credits as at April 2010. Further details about this data can be found in the HMRC snapshot publication "Child and Working Tax Credits. Geographical Analysis, April 2010". This is available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm

JUSTICE

Courts: Video Conferencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will extend the virtual courts pilot to Bradford magistrates court.

Jonathan Djanogly: There are no plans at present to extend the virtual courts pilot to Bradford magistrates court.
	Virtual courts have been piloted in London, at Camberwell Green magistrates court and in Kent, at Medway magistrates court. The virtual court focussed on testing whether first hearings in the magistrates courts could be undertaken through the use of technology by connecting police stations to magistrates courts via video link. The pilot is currently being independently evaluated.

Departmental Official Cars

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which Ministers in his Department have used an allocated ministerial car to travel between his Department and the House of Commons on each day since 21 May 2010.

Crispin Blunt: The Secretary of State, the Minister of State for Justice and the two Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State at the Ministry of Justice currently have use of an allocated ministerial car during the week. This may include journeys between the Department and the Palace of Westminster.
	The Home Office provides the arrangements in relation to the Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice, who also has ministerial responsibilities at the Ministry of Justice.
	The new Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, contains changes that affect ministerial entitlement to travel by Government car. It states that
	"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed."
	The Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency are working with Departments to effect the transition to the new arrangements.
	The Ministerial Code is available on the Cabinet Office website.

Immigration: Asylum

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many claims for asylum for which legal aid has been granted and for whom the charity Refugee Migrant Justice has been retained as legal representation have been made but not yet completed.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission is working with the administrators of RMJ to establish how many active files they have but this information is not currently available. I will write to the hon. Member when the number is obtained.

Prison Accommodation

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of prison capacity in each of the next three years.

Crispin Blunt: The Government believe that we need enough prison places for those whom the courts judge should receive a custodial sentence. The Core Capacity programme will increase capacity to 94,000 places by the end of 2012.
	We are carrying out a full review of rehabilitation and sentencing and will explore ways of increasing private and voluntary sector involvement in the justice system. We are working on the details underlying those objectives, including economic analysis to look at various options.
	Long-term decisions on prison capacity programmes will be taken in the light of these initiatives.

Prison Sentences: Reoffenders

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners who had served a sentence of six months or less re-offended within 12 months of discharge in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008.

Crispin Blunt: The available data on reoffending following a custodial sentence of six months or less is provided the following table-please note that this breakdown is based on custodial sentences awarded by the court.
	
		
			  Number and proportion of adult offenders reoffending after release from custody in the first quarter of 2006, 2007 and 2008 having been awarded a sentence of six months or less 
			   Number of offenders discharged from sentences of six months or less (January to March)  Number of offenders reoffending within 12 months  Percentage of offenders reoffending within 12 months 
			 2006 7,533 4,722 62.7 
			 2007 6,516 4,200 64.5 
			 2008 8,410 5,493 65.3 
		
	
	Further information on adult reoffending is available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm

Prison Service: Manpower

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison service staff are working in  (a) frontline delivery and  (b) elsewhere in each establishment on the prison estate in England and Wales.

Crispin Blunt: All staff working within Prison Service establishments deliver frontline services. Information on the number of directly employed staff within each establishment on 31 March 2010 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Full - time equivalent staff in post by establishment 
			  Establishment  FTE as at 31 March 2010 
			  Public Sector  
			 Acklington 448 
			 Ashwell 267 
			 Askham Grange 74 
			 Aylesbury 288 
			 Bedford 241 
			 Belmarsh 891 
			 Birmingham 735 
			 Blantyre House 65 
			 Blundeston 282 
			 Brinsford 386 
			 Bristol 330 
			 Brixton 333 
			 Buckley Hall 197 
			 Bullingdon 464 
			 Bullwood Hall 146 
			 Bure 281 
			 Canterbury 178 
			 Cardiff 417 
			 Castington 364 
			 Channings Wood 334 
			 Chelmsford 381 
			 Coldingley 258 
			 Cookham Wood 211 
			 Dartmoor 310 
			 Deerbolt 329 
			 Dorchester 172 
			 Dover 244 
			 Downview 208 
			 Drake Hall 173 
			 Durham 542 
			 East Sutton Park 58 
			 Eastwood Park 259 
			 Edmunds Hill 214 
			 Erlestoke 230 
			 Everthorpe 300 
			 Exeter 288 
			 Featherstone 353 
			 Feltham 709 
			 Ford 156 
			 Foston Hall 283 
			 Frankland 961 
			 Full Sutton 735 
			 Garth 481 
			 Gartree 425 
			 Glen Parva 444 
			 Gloucester 203 
			 Grendon 307 
			 Guys Marsh 269 
			 Haslar 96 
			 Haverigg 312 
			 Hewell 610 
			 High Down 490 
			 Highpoint 439 
			 Hindley 418 
			 Hollesley Bay 141 
			 Holloway 476 
			 Holme House 500 
			 Hull 500 
			 Huntercombe 272 
			 Isis 56 
			 Isle of Wight 858 
			 Kennet 276 
			 Kingston 124 
			 Kirkham 224 
			 Kirklevington Grange 129 
			 Lancaster 162 
			 Lancaster Farms 369 
			 Latchmere House 79 
			 Leeds 555 
			 Leicester 226 
			 Lewes 342 
			 Leyhill 191 
			 Lincoln 368 
			 Lindholme 476 
			 Littlehey 499 
			 Liverpool 608 
			 Long Lartin 683 
			 Low Newton 278 
			 Maidstone 280 
			 Manchester 845 
			 Moorland 479 
			 Morton Hall 209 
			 New Hall 366 
			 North Sea Camp 133 
			 Northallerton 128 
			 Norwich 363 
			 Nottingham 508 
			 Onley 400 
			 Pentonville 588 
			 Portland 363 
			 Preston 436 
			 Ranby 517 
			 Reading 177 
			 Risley 476 
			 Rochester 444 
			 Send 173 
			 Sheppey Cluster 1,224 
			 Shepton Mallet 130 
			 Shrewsbury 202 
			 Stafford 378 
			 Stocken 360 
			 Stoke Heath 418 
			 Styal 322 
			 Sudbury 190 
			 Swansea 220 
			 Swinfen Hall 364 
			 The Mount 329 
			 The Verne 248 
			 Thorn Cross 186 
			 Usk/Prescoed 162 
			 Wakefield 715 
			 Wandsworth 688 
			 Warren Hill 226 
			 Wayland 391 
			 Wealstun 355 
			 Wellingborough 292 
			 Werrington 170 
			 Wetherby 357 
			 Whatton 428 
			 Whitemoor 738 
			 Winchester 339 
			 Woodhill 734 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 536 
			 Wymott 510 
			 Public sector total 45,079 
			   
			  Private Sector  
			 Altcourse 614 
			 Ashfield 449 
			 Bronzefield 389 
			 Doncaster 549 
			 Dovegate 544 
			 Forest Bank 558 
			 Lowdham Grange 436 
			 Parc 604 
			 Peterborough 562 
			 Rye Hill 248 
			 Wolds 217 
			 Private sector total 5,170

Prisoners Abroad

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many non-UK nationals from  (a) EU member states and  (b) non-EU member states are detained in prison (i) on remand and (ii) serving sentences;
	(2)  how many non-UK nationals of each country of citizenship are in prison.

Crispin Blunt: From the most recent available data, March 2010, there are 880 non-UK nationals from EU member states in prison on remand and a further 2,400 serving sentences. There were 1,500 non-EU nationals in prison on remand and a further 5,400 serving sentences.
	These figures have been rounded-numbers from 1,000 to 99,999 are rounded to the nearest 100 and numbers from 10 to 999 are rounded to the nearest 10.
	The number of foreign national prisoners held in all prison establishments in England and Wales by nationality is published quarterly in the population in custody bulletin, found under the following link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/populationincustody.htm
	The following tables show the number of  (a) non UK and  (b) non EU nationals of each country in all prison establishments in England and Wales, from the most recent available data at the end of March 2010.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			  Table 1: Population in prison by nationality and sex, England and Wales - 31 March 2010 
			  Nationality  Male  Female  Total 
			 All nationalities 80,894 4,290 85,184 
			 British nationals 67,655 3,357 71,012 
			 Foreign nationals 10,556 811 11,367 
			 Nationality not recorded 2,683 122 2,805 
			 
			  Total Africa 2,576 222 2,798 
			 Algeria 172 0 172 
			 Angola 74 5 79 
			 Benin 1 0 1 
			 Botswana 3 1 4 
			 Burundi 9 0 9 
			 Cameroon 32 2 34 
			 Central African Republic 22 1 23 
			 Congo 124 8 132 
			 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 4 0 4 
			 Egypt 13 0 13 
			 Equatorial Guinea 1 0 1 
			 Ethiopia 63 5 68 
			 Gabon 1 0 1 
			 Gambia 65 3 68 
			 Ghana 138 14 152 
			 Guinea 12 0 12 
			 Guinea-Bissau 1 0 1 
			 Ivory Coast 36 0 36 
			 Kenya 56 7 63 
			 Liberia 20 4 24 
			 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 20 0 20 
			 Malawi 14 1 15 
			 Mali 1 0 1 
			 Mauritania 2 1 3 
			 Mauritius 10 0 10 
			 Morocco 48 0 48 
			 Mozambique 3 0 3 
			 Namibia 3 0 3 
			 Niger 11 2 13 
			 Nigeria 645 89 734 
			 Rwanda 16 0 16 
			 Senegal 9 0 9 
			 Sierra Leone 63 5 68 
			 Somalia 442 10 452 
			 South Africa 109 23 132 
			 Sudan 43 2 45 
			 Tanzania 23 2 25 
			 Togo 5 0 5 
			 Tunisia 18 0 18 
			 Uganda 63 10 73 
			 Zambia 14 3 17 
			 Zimbabwe 167 24 191 
			 
			  Total Asia 2,204 147 2,351 
			 Afghanistan 123 1 124 
			 Bangladesh 188 7 195 
			 Cambodia 1 0 1 
			 China 385 42 427 
			 India 328 11 339 
			 Indonesia 1 0 1 
			 Japan 3 0 3 
			 Korea, DPR (North Korea) 1 2 3 
			 Korea, Republic of 5 0 5 
			 Malaysia 37 5 42 
			 Mongolia 3 1 4 
			 Myanmar 3 0 3 
			 Nepal 10 1 11 
			 Pakistan 413 8 421 
			 Philippines 18 8 26 
			 Singapore 2 2 4 
			 Sri Lanka 147 0 147 
			 Taiwan (Nationalist Chinese) 2 1 3 
			 Thailand 2 5 7 
			 Vietnam 532 53 585 
			 
			  Total Central and South America 252 45 297 
			 Argentina 5 3 8 
			 Belize 0 1 1 
			 Bolivia 7 1 8 
			 Brazil 66 14 80 
			 Chile 8 0 8 
			 Colombia 71 5 76 
			 Costa Rica 2 0 2 
			 Ecuador 9 0 9 
			 French Guiana 2 2 4 
			 Guatemala 4 1 5 
			 Guyana 29 4 33 
			 Mexico 20 11 31 
			 Nicaragua 3 0 3 
			 Panama 1 0 1 
			 Paraguay 2 0 2 
			 Peru 3 1 4 
			 Suriname 3 0 3 
			 Uruguay 1 0 1 
			 Venezuela 16 2 18 
			 
			  Total North America 106 22 128 
			 Canada 26 6 32 
			 United States 80 16 96 
			 
			  Total Europe( 1) 3,746 252 3,998 
			 Albania 163 4 167 
			 Armenia 9 0 9 
			 Austria 12 2 14 
			 Azerbaijan 3 0 3 
			 Belgium 30 3 33 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina 10 4 14 
			 Bulgaria 28 24 52 
			 Croatia 9 0 9 
			 Cyprus 30 0 30 
			 Czech Republic 80 12 92 
			 Denmark 16 1 17 
			 Estonia 26 0 26 
			 Finland 4 0 4 
			 France 142 12 154 
			 Georgia 8 0 8 
			 Germany 84 11 95 
			 Gibraltar 4 0 4 
			 Greece 13 0 13 
			 Hungary 26 6 32 
			 Iceland 0 3 3 
			 Irish Republic 657 25 682 
			 Italy 80 2 82 
			 Kazakhstan 2 0 2 
			 Kyrgyzstan 1 1 2 
			 Latvia 140 9 149 
			 Liechtenstein 1 0 1 
			 Lithuania 338 10 348 
			 Macedonia 4 0 4 
			 Malta 3 0 3 
			 Moldova 15 1 16 
			 Netherlands 99 15 114 
			 Norway 7 0 7 
			 Poland 657 13 670 
			 Portugal 212 13 225 
			 Romania 358 47 405 
			 Russian Federation 112 12 124 
			 San Marino 1 0 1 
			 Serbia and Montenegro 38 0 38 
			 Slovakia 54 6 60 
			 Slovenia 3 0 3 
			 Spain 65 10 75 
			 Sweden 17 4 21 
			 Switzerland 6 1 7 
			 Turkey 170 1 171 
			 Turkmenistan 1 0 1 
			 Uzbekistan 8 0 8 
			 
			  Total Middle East 562 12 574 
			 Iran 205 8 213 
			 Iraq 240 1 241 
			 Israel 35 2 37 
			 Jordan 7 0 7 
			 Kuwait 12 1 13 
			 Lebanon 16 0 16 
			 Oman 2 0 2 
			 Qatar 1 0 1 
			 Saudi Arabia 16 0 16 
			 Syrian Arab Republic 12 0 12 
			 United Arab Emirates 4 0 4 
			 Yemen, Republic of 12 0 12 
			 
			  Total Oceania 39 3 42 
			 Australia 24 3 27 
			 Fiji 7 0 7 
			 Kiribati 1 0 1 
			 New Zealand 5 0 5 
			 Papua New Guinea 1 0 1 
			 Samoa 1 0 1 
			 
			  Total West Indies 1,069 108 1,177 
			 Anguilla 1 0 1 
			 Aruba 1 0 1 
			 Bahamas 2 0 2 
			 Barbados 31 8 39 
			 Bermuda 2 1 3 
			 Cuba 3 0 3 
			 Dominica 14 1 15 
			 Dominican Republic 1 0 1 
			 Grenada 18 1 19 
			 Jamaica 895 65 960 
			 Montserrat 13 0 13 
			 Netherlands Antilles 6 3 9 
			 St Kitts and Nevis 5 0 5 
			 St Lucia 20 11 31 
			 St Vincent and the Grenadines 15 2 17 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 41 16 57 
			 Virgin Islands 1 0 1 
			 
			  Total Other 2 0 2 
			 (1) Excluding UK nationals  Data Sources and Quality These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, but the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and so although shown to the last individual, the figure may not be accurate to that level. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 1: Population in prison by nationality and sex England and Wales - 31 March 2010 
			  Nationality  Male  Female  Total 
			  Total Africa 2,576 222 2,798 
			 Algeria 172 0 172 
			 Angola 74 5 79 
			 Benin 1 0 1 
			 Botswana 3 1 4 
			 Burundi 9 0 9 
			 Cameroon 32 2 34 
			 Central African Republic 22 1 23 
			 Congo 124 8 132 
			 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 4 0 4 
			 Egypt 13 0 13 
			 Equatorial Guinea 1 0 1 
			 Ethiopia 63 5 68 
			 Gabon 1 0 1 
			 Gambia 65 3 68 
			 Ghana 138 14 152 
			 Guinea 12 0 12 
			 Guinea-Bissau 1 0 1 
			 Ivory Coast 36 0 36 
			 Kenya 56 7 63 
			 Liberia 20 4 24 
			 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 20 0 20 
			 Malawi 14 1 15 
			 Mali 1 0 1 
			 Mauritania 2 1 3 
			 Mauritius 10 0 10 
			 Morocco 48 0 48 
			 Mozambique 3 0 3 
			 Namibia 3 0 3 
			 Niger 11 2 13 
			 Nigeria 645 89 734 
			 Rwanda 16 0 16 
			 Senegal 9 0 9 
			 Sierra Leone 63 5 68 
			 Somalia 442 10 452 
			 South Africa 109 23 132 
			 Sudan 43 2 45 
			 Tanzania 23 2 25 
			 Togo 5 0 5 
			 Tunisia 18 0 18 
			 Uganda 63 10 73 
			 Zambia 14 3 17 
			 Zimbabwe 167 24 191 
			 
			  Total Asia 2,204 147 2,351 
			 Afghanistan 123 1 124 
			 Bangladesh 188 7 195 
			 Cambodia 1 0 1 
			 China 385 42 427 
			 India 328 11 339 
			 Indonesia 1 0 1 
			 Japan 3 0 3 
			 Korea, DPR (North Korea) 1 2 3 
			 Korea, Republic of 5 0 5 
			 Malaysia 37 5 42 
			 Mongolia 3 1 4 
			 Myanmar 3 0 3 
			 Nepal 10 1 11 
			 Pakistan 413 8 421 
			 Philippines 18 8 26 
			 Singapore 2 2 4 
			 Sri Lanka 147 0 147 
			 Taiwan (Nationalist Chinese) 2 1 3 
			 Thailand 2 5 7 
			 Vietnam 532 53 585 
			 
			  Total Central and South America 252 45 297 
			 Argentina 5 3 8 
			 Belize 0 1 1 
			 Bolivia 7 1 8 
			 Brazil 66 14 80 
			 Chile 8 0 8 
			 Colombia 71 5 76 
			 Costa Rica 2 0 2 
			 Ecuador 9 0 9 
			 French Guiana 2 2 4 
			 Guatemala 4 1 5 
			 Guyana 29 4 33 
			 Mexico 20 11 31 
			 Nicaragua 3 0 3 
			 Panama 1 0 1 
			 Paraguay 2 0 2 
			 Peru 3 1 4 
			 Suriname 3 0 3 
			 Uruguay 1 0 1 
			 Venezuela 16 2 18 
			 
			  Total North America 106 22 128 
			 Canada 26 6 32 
			 United States 80 16 96 
			 
			  Total  Europe( 1) 572 27 599 
			 Albania 163 4 167 
			 Armenia 9 0 9 
			 Azerbaijan 3 0 3 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina 10 4 14 
			 Croatia 9 0 9 
			 Georgia 8 0 8 
			 Gibraltar 4 0 4 
			 Iceland 0 3 3 
			 Kazakhstan 2 0 2 
			 Kyrgyzstan 1 1 2 
			 Liechtenstein 1 0 1 
			 Macedonia 4 0 4 
			 Moldova 15 1 16 
			 Norway 7 0 7 
			 Russian Federation 112 12 124 
			 San Marino 1 0 1 
			 Serbia and Montenegro 38 0 38 
			 Switzerland 6 1 7 
			 Turkey 170 1 171 
			 Turkmenistan 1 0 1 
			 Uzbekistan 8 0 8 
			 
			  Total Middle East 562 12 574 
			 Iran 205 8 213 
			 Iraq 240 1 241 
			 Israel 35 2 37 
			 Jordan 7 0 7 
			 Kuwait 12 1 13 
			 Lebanon 16 0 16 
			 Oman 2 0 2 
			 Qatar 1 0 1 
			 Saudi Arabia 16 0 16 
			 Syrian Arab Republic 12 0 12 
			 United Arab Emirates 4 0 4 
			 Yemen, Republic of 12 0 12 
			 
			  Total Oceania 39 3 42 
			 Australia 24 3 27 
			 Fiji 7 0 7 
			 Kiribati 1 0 1 
			 New Zealand 5 0 5 
			 Papua New Guinea 1 0 1 
			 Samoa 1 0 1 
			 
			  Total West Indies 1,069 108 1,177 
			 Anguilla 1 0 1 
			 Aruba 1 0 1 
			 Bahamas 2 0 2 
			 Barbados 31 8 39 
			 Bermuda 2 1 3 
			 Cuba 3 0 3 
			 Dominica 14 1 15 
			 Dominican Republic 1 0 1 
			 Grenada 18 1 19 
			 Jamaica 895 65 960 
			 Montserrat 13 0 13 
			 Netherlands Antilles 6 3 9 
			 St Kitts and Nevis 5 0 5 
			 St Lucia 20 11 31 
			 St Vincent and the Grenadines 15 2 17 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 41 16 57 
			 Virgin Islands 1 0 1 
			 
			  Total Other 2 0 2 
			 (1) Excluding UK and EU nationals  Data Sources and Quality These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, but the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and so although shown to the last individual, the figure may not be accurate to that level.

Prisoners' Transfers: Rehabilitation

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many prisoners were transferred between prisons to undertake rehabilitation as part of their parole conditions in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  if he will take steps to enable all prisoners to undertake rehabilitation as part of their parole conditions without having to transfer between prisons.

Crispin Blunt: Information on the number of prisoners transferred to undertake rehabilitation as part of their parole conditions is not centrally recorded, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost by checking the files of all prisoners at each establishment who may have been transferred.
	Prisoners often present a broad range of risks and needs which potentially need to be addressed to reduce their risk of re-offending on release. Every prison provides a variety of services, but significant resources would be required if each prison were capable of holding every category of prisoner and to deliver all the required services to prevent prisoners being transferred. Prisoners are transferred for a variety of reasons including, for example, to access particular activities or specialised services, promote family ties, to provide an opportunity to demonstrate reduced risk in a lower category establishment, or to maintain good order and control. It is however recognised that transfers should be kept to a minimum where practicable to support continuity of care. The National Offender Management Service continues to routinely review the provision of services across the estate in order to provide the most effective use of resources.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Abdelbasit Ali Mohmed al Megrahi

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with the First Minister the question of whether to hold a public inquiry into the decision to release Mr Al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds, in light of Mr Al-Megrahi still being alive.

Alistair Burt: Our thoughts remain with the families of the victims of Lockerbie. My right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary, made clear his view at the time, that Mr Al-Megrahi's compassionate release by Scottish Ministers was a mistake. However, the question of whether it was appropriate, including any public inquiry, is for the Scottish authorities. I note the Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee published a report on 5 February 2010 examining the process followed by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill MSP, in making the decision that led to Mr Al-Megrahi's release.

Afghanistan: Religious Freedom

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with his Afghan counterpart on the treatment of Afghan Christian converts.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of reports of the Deputy Secretary of the Afghan Lower House of Parliament's remarks regarding the execution of Christian converts from Islam. The remarks were made during a debate over a recent series of television reports, which showed video footage of Afghans converting to Christianity. Under Afghan law, proselytising is illegal and conversion from Islam is a capital offence.
	The Government strongly support the right to freedom of religion or belief. We are working to support all individuals who face discrimination and persecution on the basis of religion, including Christians, wherever they are in the world. Article 2 of the Afghan constitution provides for freedom of religion, and we expect the Afghan Government to fully implement this. We have a regular dialogue with the Afghan Government on human rights, including on the need to ensure the security of all Afghans, regardless of religion. In addition, we will raise particular cases of concern with the Afghan Government. We have not received any confirmed reports of Afghan Christian converts being prosecuted or put on trial.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Politics and Government

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on the future of the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The Peace Implementation Council met in Sarajevo on 29-30 June. Officials discussed progress towards the objectives and conditions necessary for closure of the Office of the High Representative. As these have not been completed, no decision on closure was taken.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has encouraged Bosnian leaders urgently to address the outstanding conditions.

Counter-terrorism: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much is planned to be spent on his Department's Counter-Terrorism and Radicalisation Programme in 2010-11.

Alistair Burt: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs announced in his written statement to Parliament on 29 June 2010,  Official Report, column 38WS, following his review of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's programme spend the budget allocation for the Counter Terrorism and Radicalisation Programme for the current financial year (2010-2011) will be maintained at £38 million.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent on  (a) refreshments and  (b) furnishings in his private office in each year from 2005 to 2010.

Alistair Burt: Expenditure on refreshments cannot be fully disaggregated from total spending on meetings and events. The majority of the furniture was replaced in 2007-08 as it either did not meet current health and safety regulations or was in a bad state of repair. The cost was £42,517 in 2007-08 and £598 in 2008-09, and nil other years.

Departmental Training

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what training has been provided for Ministers in his Department since the formation of the present administration; and at what cost.

Alistair Burt: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers attended the Ministerial Induction course run by the National School of Government at no cost to the office. Ministers will carefully consider the opportunity for constructive and cost effective training in the future.

Exports

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what services his Department provides to small and medium-sized enterprises wishing to export their products.

Mark Prisk: I have been asked to reply.
	Government delivers services for exporters through UK Trade and Investment. UKTI organises its trade services under two headings: 'Developing your international trade potential' for new and inexperienced exporters taking their first steps in international business; and 'Accessing foreign markets' for experienced exporters who are seeking to expand into new markets. Full details of these services can be found on UKTI's website:
	www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk
	In 2009-10 UKTI's trade services helped 23,600 companies to export and compete in global markets.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to reply to the letter dated 20 May 2010 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ghulam Sarwar.

Alistair Burt: We did not receive an original copy of the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton's letter of 20 May 2010. After speaking with the right hon. Member's office we have now received a copy and will reply as soon as possible.

Sri Lanka

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when officials from his Department last visited the Jaffna Peninsula.

Alistair Burt: Our acting high commissioner and other members of staff from our high commission in Colombo visited the Jaffna Peninsula on 28 and 29 June 2010. They met key government, military, political and religious figures, as well as businesses and humanitarian organisations. They assessed the security situation, humanitarian requirements and opportunities for investment and economic development.

Sri Lanka: Human Rights

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed human rights issues in Sri Lanka with his Sri Lankan counterpart.

Alistair Burt: I spoke with the Sri Lankan Minister of External Affairs, G L Peiris, on 16 June, when I raised the issue of human rights and in particular the role of the recently established "Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission".

Sri Lanka: Human Rights

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his latest assessment is of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka.

Alistair Burt: Despite some improvement in the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, we are concerned about the situation of journalists and human rights defenders, the lack of adequate investigations of alleged violations of human rights concerning abductions and enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions and extra-judicial killings. We continue to raise these concerns both bilaterally with the Government of Sri Lanka and through the EU. We repeatedly call upon the Government of Sri Lanka to investigate reports of human rights abuses wherever they occur.

Tracey Lee Ann Foley

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Secret Intelligence Service holds information on Tracey Lee Ann Foley.

Alistair Burt: It is the longstanding policy of successive Governments not to comment on security and intelligence matters.

Turkey: Politics and Government

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps he has taken to seek to reduce the incidence of extremism in Turkey.

David Lidington: Turkey is a key partner on tackling counter terrorism and extremism. The UK discusses these issues with Turkey on a regular basis. Most recently the Turkish Interior Minister Atalay discussed counter terrorism with the Home Secretary during his visit to the UK on 28-29 June 2010.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Constituencies

Chris Evans: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he has estimated the number of seats held by an hon. Member from  (a) the Labour party,  (b) the Conservative party and  (c) the Liberal Democrat party which would be lost under his plans to equalise the number of registered voters in each constituency.

Mark Harper: As my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister announced on 5 July 2010,  Official Report, column 24W a Bill will be introduced before the summer recess to implement the coalition agreement commitment to make provision for the creation of fewer and more equal sized constituencies. Parliament will have the opportunity to debate its provisions. The independent Boundary Commissions will carry out their task, as always, in a fair and thorough way.

Dissolution

William Bain: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to hold a consultation on proposals for a 55 per cent. threshold for the dissolution of a five-year fixed-term Parliament; and if he will publish all representations he has received on the proposals.

Mark Harper: As my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister announced in the House of Commons on 5 July 2010,  Official Report, column 23-25. The Government have listened carefully to what has been said on both sides of the House about its proposals for fixed-term Parliaments, and has decided that a majority of two-thirds will be needed to pass a dissolution motion, as opposed to the 55% first suggested.

Electoral Reform: Referendums

Helen Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he plans to introduce restrictions on the publication of promotional material by  (a) central and (b) local government in the period ahead of a referendum on electoral reform.

Mark Harper: Section 125 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 imposes a restriction on the publication of promotional material related to a referendum by either central or local government in the 28 days prior to the poll.

Electoral Reform: Referendums

Helen Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to publish information on different voting systems in advance of his proposed referendum on electoral reform.

Mark Harper: It is clearly important that voters understand the voting systems that will be the subject of the referendum on electoral reform, in order to enable them to make an informed choice. The Government will consider the best means of ensuring that this is the case.

Electoral Register

Jack Straw: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the costs of implementing his policy of individual voter registration.

Mark Harper: The Government are considering different approaches to speeding up the implementation of individual voter registration. We will set out our plans in due course.

House of Lords

Chris Evans: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government has to recommend the nomination of new members of the House of Lords during this Parliament.

Mark Harper: The Deputy Prime Minister is chairing the cross-party committee which will bring forward proposals for a wholly or mainly elected upper Chamber. The committee will come forward with a draft Bill by the end of the year. Until such time appointments to the House of Lords will continue in the usual way.

House of Lords: Reform

William Bain: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment has been made of the merits of the  (a) open list and  (b) partially open list system of proportional representation for use in electing a reformed second chamber of Parliament.

Mark Harper: The Committee on House of Lords reform, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, will consider the options for a proportional voting system for a wholly or mainly elected second chamber. The Committee will publish its proposals in a draft Bill by the end of the year.

House of Lords: Reform

William Bain: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received on the role of the Lords Spiritual in a reformed second chamber of Parliament.

Mark Harper: The Government have received a number of representations on the role of the Lords Spiritual within a reformed second chamber.

House of Lords: Reform

Chris Evans: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he proposes to bring forward proposals for elections for the House of Lords.

Mark Harper: A committee chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister is charged with producing a draft Bill on House of Lords Reform by no later than the end of this year. The draft Bill will then be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny. The Government hope that this will be by a Joint Committee of both Houses.
	It will then be for the Government to take a decision on introducing legislation.

Parliamentary Reform Bill

John Healey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many Cabinet Office officials are working on preparations for the Parliamentary Reform Bill.

Mark Harper: The Government have an ambitious political and constitutional reform agenda. As the Deputy Prime Minister set out in his statement in the House of Commons on 5 July 2010,  Official Report, column 23, the Government will shortly introduce legislation for fixed parliamentary terms and for a referendum on the Alternative Vote system and for a review of constituency boundaries. Final decisions have yet to been taken on the content, titles or timing of many of the Bills which will deliver the Government's parliamentary reform agenda. I am therefore unable to provide a precise figure for the number of staff who will work on the legislation.
	However, the work on the legislation will form some of that undertaken by the officials transferred as the Cabinet Office's new Constitution Group from the Ministry of Justice, in the machinery of government change announced by the Prime Minister on 2 June 2010,  Official Report, column 22WS. They are supported by legal advisers from the Constitutional Law team in the Ministry of Justice.

Primary Elections

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 15 June 2010,  Official Report, column 321W, on primary elections, 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the cost of funding 200 all-postal primaries in this Parliament;
	(2)  whether the funding for all-postal primaries will be available for primaries other than open primaries in which every elector can vote;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with the political parties on take up of state funding for all-postal primaries.

Mark Harper: The Government have not made a detailed assessment of the cost of funding the 200 all-postal primaries, and no decisions have yet been taken on what conditions might attach to the funding. I have not held discussions with political parties on this issue. Further details will be announced in due course.

Royal Prerogative

William Bain: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will bring forward proposals to involve the House of Commons in the exercise of the prerogative powers of appointing a Prime Minister and other Ministers of the Crown.

Mark Harper: There are no plans to bring forward proposals in this area.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Animal Experiments

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research.

David Willetts: The NC3Rs is mainly funded by the Medical and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Councils. It also receives some funding from the Home Office, and the charitable and private sectors.
	The Government recognise the valuable contribution the NC3RS has made in advancing the 3Rs as detailed in a recent five-year review of the Centre. The results of the review will be used by the Research Councils to help decide on future funding levels for the Centre in the light of competing priorities for spending.

Business: Regulation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his policy to remove one regulation when a new regulation is introduced applies to regulations in UK law deriving from EU obligations.

Mark Prisk: Officials are currently assessing the most effective method for applying the One-in, One-out rule to those European regulations and directives which affect businesses and the third sector in the UK.

Business: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises located in Coventry on access to credit.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 6 July 2010
	The Secretary of State has had no recent discussions with representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises located in Coventry on access to credit. However, Ministers are considering options for the best ways to engage key representative bodies and banks to discuss access to credit issues.
	The Budget announced that a Green Paper will be published before the summer recess to consider the broad range of finance options for businesses of different sizes.

Company Finance

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to ensure that FTSE-listed companies' directors' social and environmental duties are adequately covered in company reporting.

Edward Davey: The Government's commitment is to reinstate an Operating and Financial Review to ensure that directors' social and environmental duties have to be covered in company reporting, and investigate further ways of improving corporate accountability and transparency. We intend to consult on this issue this summer with a view to publishing our proposals by the end of the year.

Connexions Service

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what timetable he has set for replacing the Connexions service with an all-age careers service; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are currently considering how to make sure that all young people have access to high quality careers education and information, advice and guidance that helps them to make choices about learning options and future careers.

Departmental Lost Property

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what property has been recorded as  (a) lost and  (b) stolen from the Department in the last 12 months; and what estimate has been made of the cost of the replacement of that property.

Edward Davey: During the period 1 June 2009 to 31 May 2010, 115 items were reported as missing on this Department's central London estate with an estimated replacement value of £28,500. Of these, 14 items were subsequently found with an estimated replacement value of £3,650.
	The Department records items as missing, as it is not always possible to prove theft as the reason for the loss and some items reported are subsequently found.
	The figure includes small, low value personal items as well as items of electrical equipment, such as ICT equipment, mobile phones and accessories (some of which may have been personal items) and multi media equipment.

Departmental Official Photographs

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department has spent on official photographs of Ministers since the formation of the present administration.

Edward Davey: The Department has spent £800.00 plus VAT on initial photographs of six Business, Innovation and Skills Ministers shortly after they were appointed.

Higher Education

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to allow private for-profit higher education institutions to access Higher Education Funding Council for England funding.

David Willetts: I believe private for profit higher education institutions have a role to play in the high education landscape of this country. Any consideration of whether there is scope for giving such institutions access to HEFCE funding should wait until after we have had the chance to see and reflect on the outcome of the Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance led by Lord Browne.

Higher Education

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received on allowing private higher education institutions access to the student loans system.

David Willetts: No representations have been received on allowing private Higher Education Institutions access to the student loans system. As in the past, higher education courses provided by private institutions may be specifically designated to attract student support on an individual basis and students attending these courses can access student loans.

Higher Education

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to change the criteria a higher education institution must meet in order to be classified as a university.

David Willetts: There are no immediate plans to make changes to the criteria. This an area we will keep under review but changes would only be made after consultation with interested parties.

Higher Education

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to review the role of private higher education institutions in the higher education system.

David Willetts: The private sector has an important role to play in higher education and I would like to see the opportunity for this type of provision to grow in this country. The Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance led by Lord Browne may also review the role of the private sector.

Higher Education: Admissions

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration he has given to the findings of the recent report by the Higher Education Funding Council of England on student ethnicity: profile and progression of entrants to full-time, first degree study and the achievement gap between white and ethnic minority students.

David Willetts: I have noted with interest HEFCE's publication "Student ethnicity: Profile and progression of entrants to full-time, first degree study". Although much of the content of the report was already in the public domain through a range of research reports, it is helpful to draw together outcomes that include participation, progression and attainment.
	The sector has acted on previous research evidence concerning degree attainment gaps between minority ethnic and white students. The work of the higher education academy and the equality challenge unit continues to contribute towards institutions better understanding the complex factors underpinning the gaps and developing initiatives to address them.
	The need to attract more students from disadvantaged backgrounds into higher education and to increase social mobility is written into the coalition agreement. The coalition agreement is clear that future activity in these areas needs to be judged against the findings from Lord Browne's independent review of higher education funding and student finance.

Higher Education: Finance

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills from which budgets the £200 million in savings from the higher education budget announced by his Department on 24 May 2010 will be made.

David Willetts: The savings in the Higher Education Funding Council for England's budget for 2010-11 are made up of a reduction in the university modernisation fund of £118 million and further efficiency savings of £82 million to be split between the teaching grant and capital budgets. However, compared to the Grant letter issued in December 2009, HEFCE's revised overall budget will rise by £70 million for 2010-11.

Higher Education: Finance

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the effects on expenditure by the higher education sector of the Government's proposal to increase the normal rate of value added tax to 20 per cent.

David Willetts: The Department has not made an estimate of the additional costs to the higher education sector of the increase in the rate of VAT. Separately, we have introduced the £20 million shared services element of the university modernisation fund. It will support projects to increase collaboration in the sector. This will encourage behaviour which can go some way to mitigate the increase in VAT.

Postcomm: Public Appointments

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the extent to which the appointment of Jenny Block as Postcomm's legal director complies with Article 22 of the Postal Services Directive on the independence of national regulatory authorities from postal operators; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: Postcomm was established under the Postal Services Act 2000 as the independent regulator of the postal sector.
	All of Postcomm's directors have declared and published their interests on its website:
	http://www.psc.gov.uk/about-postcomm/commissioners-and-directors/directors-declaration-of-interest.html
	Where there is a possible conflict of interest associated with any appointments made by Postcomm, appropriate procedures are put in place to deal with the potential conflict.
	As a non-ministerial Department (NMD), Postcomm has direct responsibility for its administration and staffing. I have therefore asked the chief executive of Postcomm, Tim Brown, to provide a fuller reply to the hon. Member. A copy of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Sector Skills Council for Construction

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made on the Sector Skills Council for Construction's review of Qualifying the Workforce; whether its terms of reference include competence card schemes; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: The Sector Skills Council for Construction is currently reviewing progress being made towards qualifying the work force in the construction industry. This includes the contribution made by competence-based card schemes. Construction Skills is also contributing to a review being carried out by the Health and Safety Executive. The governing body of the SSC will consider the outcome of these pieces of work later in the year.

Summertime

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations his Department has received since May 2010 on the introduction of daylight saving time throughout the year; and what consideration the Government are giving to its introduction on a permanent basis.

Edward Davey: The Department has received a number of representations on this subject since May, including written correspondence and a number of parliamentary questions. We are also aware of the 10:10 Lighter Later campaign and the recent petition that has been put forward. The Government continues to listen to all such representatives, but does not have any current plans to change the existing arrangements.

Termination of Employment

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the merits of simplifying legislation on terminating the contracts of employees.

Edward Davey: Under current employment legislation, there are five potentially valid reasons for dismissal. These are capability, conduct, redundancy, retirement, and that continued employment would breach a statutory requirement. The legislation also provides for 'some other substantial reason', where an employer has a good reason for dismissing an employee which is not one of these five.
	We have no current plans to change the law in this area, but if my hon. Friend wishes to write to me setting out his concerns, I will consider whether to include it in our review of employment law.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Maintenance

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost to the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission was for each £1 of child maintenance arrears collected in the latest period for which figures are available.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is for each £1 of child maintenance arrears collected.
	The latest published information shows that costs for the statutory maintenance scheme for 2009/10 were £499.0m. In the same period, £1,141m was collected and arranged in child maintenance. This gives an average cost of 44p for each £1 of child maintenance collected and arranged.
	It is not possible to assign a separate cost to the collection of arrears as activity to collect regular maintenance and arrears is undertaken simultaneously on a case by case basis.

Children: Maintenance

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications to the Child Support Agency for a departure or variation were by  (a) a non-resident parent and  (b) parents with care in the last three years; and how many such applications were (i) granted and (ii) rejected.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications to the Child Support Agency for a departure or variation were by (a) a non-resident parent and (b) parents with care in the last three years; and how many such applications were (i) granted and (ii) rejected.
	Unfortunately there is no management information is available on the number of variation applications. Management information on new applications for a departure cannot be broken down by non-resident parent and parent with care. The table below therefore includes information on the total number of new applications for a departure, the number of applications granted and the number of applications refused.
	
		
			  New applications/clearances for a departure 
			  Departures  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Total application intake 6,560 4,020 3,300 
			 NRP applications granted 1,440 1,330 1,200 
			 PWC applications granted 1,400 1,100 1,080 
			 Other clearances 2,830 750 100 
			 Total applications refused 990 1,190 1,140 
			  Notes: 1. Figures rounded to nearest 10. 2. The application intake may include more than one application or variation on the same case. 3. Other clearances include applications that are withdrawn as well as those under 'preliminary consideration'. 4. Applications granted, applications refused and other clearances are based on the actual granted, refusal or clearance date. Applications granted, refused or cleared in one year may have been from a previous year's intake.

Departmental Conferences

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of expenditure by his Department and its predecessors on  (a) organising and  (b) attending conferences in each year since 1997.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001 from the Department of Social Security (DSS), the Employment Service (ES) and some parts of the Department for Education and Employment (DFEE) and no information is available before that time.
	The Department does not hold a central record of the total cost of organising and attending conferences. However, identifiable expenditure for management conferences and external meetings are provided in the following table:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2001-02 6.705 
			 2002-03 19.729 
			 2003-04 12.284 
			 2004-05 10.738 
			 2005-06 10.640 
			 2006-07 11.533 
			 2007-08 11.532 
			 2008-09 16.273 
			 2009-10(1) 15.636 
			 (1) The accounts for 2009-10 have not been finalised therefore are subject to change. 
		
	
	These figures do not include expenditure incurred by the non-departmental public bodies:
	Health and Safety Executive; or
	Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, since its inception in 2008-09

Departmental Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent  (a) in total and  (b) on staff costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many people are employed by his Department for this purpose.

Chris Grayling: The Department is fully committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and to ensuring that equality is built into the services it provides to the public. The Department therefore has in place a central diversity and equality team to ensure that it complies with all equality legislation. This team actively promotes equality and diversity in the development of policies, services, and in the treatment of staff.
	Other staff throughout the Department are also responsible for promoting equality and diversity as part of their wider responsibilities. Staff across the Department have the opportunity to be involved in seven national staff networks which promote diversity awareness.
	Information on the number of staff in the central team and how much has been spent in total and on staff costs by the central team in each of the last three years is in the following table. Information on the number of other staff in the Department working on equality and diversity cannot be disaggregated from their wider duties and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Information on the costs of promoting equality and diversity outside the central team is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Figures for the central team 
			   Total (£ million)  Staff costs (£ million)  Headcount (FTE) 
			 2009-10 1.321 1.065 (1)23.33 
			 2008-09 1.731 1.150 (2)28.16 
			 2007-08 1.628 1.120 (3)22.13 
			 (1 )March 2010 (2 )March 2009 (3 )March 2008

Departmental Training

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training has been provided for Ministers in his Department since the formation of the present administration; and at what cost.

Chris Grayling: Since the formation of the new coalition Government no training has been provided to DWP Ministers.

Disability Living Allowance

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has to consult with businesses on the implementation of the Pensions Act 2008.

Steve Webb: The Government are committed to introducing automatic enrolment as an effective means of increasing pension saving.
	The Making Automatic Enrolment Work review, announced on 24 June will consider whether the approach inherited from the previous Administration strikes the right balance between cost, benefits and risks for individuals, employers, and the tax-payer. The Review Team will contact relevant stakeholders to let them know how they can participate in and contribute to the review.
	The terms of reference for the review can be found on the DWP website:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/making-automatic-enrolment-work-tor.pdf

Funeral Payments

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will increase the  (a) component to cover the cost of funeral directors' expenses and  (b) level of the funeral benefit payment; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr Wright) on 24 June 2010,  Official Report, column 307W.

Future Jobs Fund

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2010,  Official Report, column 75W, on the Future Jobs Fund, what categories of information his Department holds on the Future Jobs Fund; and what data he has used to assess its effectiveness.

Chris Grayling: The Department holds information on the number of Future Jobs Fund placements available, the number of customers who started a Future Jobs Fund job and financial information on payments made, along with some demographical and geographical information. Information that has been quality assured under the UK Statistics Authority's code of practice is released as official statistics.
	We have agreed to fund over 100,000 jobs. The Department is committed to implementing programmes that deliver value for money and deliver sustainable outcomes. At up to £6,500 per person the Future Jobs Fund is five times more expensive than some other elements of the Young Person's Guarantee. The Fund does not ensure sustainable employment for young people: it creates short term jobs, and the grants do not include any incentives to move people into permanent posts. Reducing the scope of the programme will save £290 million and this will help the Government tackle the unprecedented £156 billion deficit.
	The Government are committed to supporting young people. The 50,000 new apprenticeships announced in May and the forthcoming Work Programme will help move young people into sustainable employment.

Housing Benefit

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to review the local housing allowance system.

Steve Webb: The Department has been carrying out a review of the local housing allowance (LHA) scheme over a two-year period from the commencement of its roll-out in April 2008. The aim of the review is to monitor the impact of the LHA at a national level, against the original LHA policy objectives set out by the previous Government. We aim to publish a report later in the year.

Housing Benefit

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate has been made of the proportion of landlords with properties for rent at below the 30th percentile of the market who let to housing benefit claimants.

Steve Webb: The information is not available.

Housing Benefit

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the level is of local housing allowance in each of the broad market rental areas; at what levels they will be set in each area when rates are set at the 30th percentile of local rents; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: Local housing allowance (LHA) rates for all broad rental market areas in England, Scotland and Wales are published by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) on their website at:
	www.voa.gov.uk
	The VOA has also published on their website indicative LHA rates at the 30(th) percentile based on data used to produce the June 2010 rates in England.
	The Scottish Government have published indicative LHA rates at the 30(th) percentile based on data used to produce the July 2010 LHA rates in Scotland. These are available on the Scottish Government website at:
	www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/PrivateRenting/rent-registration-service/setting-lha/Figures/LHAJULY2010
	This will be updated each month until LHA rates are set at the 30(th) percentile from October 2011.
	Indicative LHA rates at the 30(th) percentile for broad rental market areas in Wales are not as yet published but are given in the following table.
	
		
			  30( th)  Percentile calculation-Wales 
			  £ 
			  Broad rental market area  Shared 1 bedroom  1 bedroom  2 bedroom  3 bedroom  4 bedroom 
			 Blaenau 45.00 64.62 76.92 86.54 107.31 
			 Brecon and Radnor 50.00 65.00 87.00 103.85 115.38 
			 Bridgend 49.00 77.31 98.08 105.00 150.00 
			 Caerphilly 54.00 71.54 92.31 100.00 138.46 
			 Cardiff 54.23 98.08 126.92 144.23 184.62 
			 Carmarthen 51.00 70.00 87.69 99.23 115.38 
			 Ceredigion 63.50 80.77 98.08 110.00 126.92 
			 Flint 55.00 75.00 103.85 121.15 155.77 
			 Merthyr Cynon 45.00 65.00 80.00 87.69 110.00 
			 Monmouth 56.54 86.54 114.23 132.69 173.08 
			 Newport 50.00 76.15 103.85 115.38 150.00 
			 North Clwyd 60.00 75.00 97.00 115.38 148.85 
			 North Powys 50.00 60.00 80.77 92.31 126.92 
			 North West Wales 50.00 6.5.00 85.38 98.08 121.15 
			 NPT 54.00 75.00 87.69 98.08 114.23 
			 Pembroke 54.00 77.54 92.31 115.38 150.00 
			 South Gwynedd 50.00 60.00 73.85 83.08 80.00 
			 Swansea 51.92 85.00 103.85 110.00 155.77 
			 Taff Rhondda 45.00 62.00 84.23 90.00 126.92 
			 Torfaen 60.00 80.77 92.31 110.77 132.69 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 51.92 93.75 115.38 126.92 173.08 
			 Wrexham 55.00 69.23 98.08 115.38 150.00 
			  Note: The rates are based on July 2010 data.  Source: Rent Officers Wales

Housing Benefit

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the proposed cap on local housing allowance in relation to the housing benefit subsidy to local authorities on homeless households placed in temporary accommodation.

Steve Webb: Housing benefit subsidy for people in temporary accommodation is considered separately to mainstream local housing allowance rates and reviewed annually.
	The proposed changes to local housing allowance rates from next year, including the introduction of upper cap limits in April 2011, would not affect housing benefit subsidy levels for private sector leased temporary accommodation before April 2012. This is because, under existing legislation, housing benefit subsidy levels for this type of temporary accommodation are based on a formula that uses local housing allowance rates for the January preceding each relevant financial year. Therefore subsidy levels until April 2012 would be based on local housing allowance rates before the proposed changes take effect.
	Subsidy levels from April 2012, including the method used to calculate them, have not yet been decided.

Housing Benefit

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the likely effects on  (a) levels of homelessness and  (b) demand for affordable housing of implementation of the proposed changes to the payment of housing benefit in each of the next five years.

Steve Webb: The Department for Work and Pensions undertakes rigorous assessments of all new policies and will fully consider the effects of changes to housing benefit on homelessness and the demand for affordable housing alongside the detailed policy design of these measures. The Department will work with Communities and Local Government, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Scottish Government to assess the wider housing implications of these policies. Information will be published in due course.

Housing Benefit: Tower Hamlets

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding for discretionary housing payments has been made available to the London borough of Tower Hamlets in each year since 1997.

Steve Webb: The Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) scheme was introduced in July 2001. The Government makes a contribution to each local authority's expenditure on DHP. The local authority is allowed to add to this contribution, as long as the total expenditure does not exceed 2.5 times the Government's contribution for that year.
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Government DHP contribution to the London borough of Tower Hamlets since 2001, and Tower Hamlets' reported expenditure 
			  £ 
			   Government contribution  Total expenditure 
			 2001-02 95,889 54,651 
			 2002-03 140,734 110,672 
			 2003-04 140,734 112,552 
			 2004-05 150,300 141,624 
			 2005-06 144,769 156,675 
			 2006-07 156,025 92,995 
			 2007-08 157,141 127,903 
			 2008-09 126,213 146,898 
			 2009-10 140,934 152,128 
			 2010-11 132,770 (1)- 
			 (1) Not yet known.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions allocations and Local Authority returns

Jobseekers Allowance

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of  (a) individuals and  (b) lone parents in Wakefield constituency who will have been on jobseeker's allowance for over 12 months in 2013;

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of  (a) individuals and  (b) lone parents in Cynon Valley constituency who will have been on jobseeker's allowance for over 12 months in 2013;

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of  (a) individuals and  (b) lone parents who will have been on jobseeker's allowance for over 12 months in Birmingham, Erdington constituency in 2013.

Chris Grayling: The information is not available.

Lone Parents: Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents there are in West Lancashire constituency.

Maria Miller: In 2008, there were estimated to be 1,600 lone parents in West Lancashire. This figure has been rounded to the nearest 100. The estimate is based on the Household Annual Population survey (HAPS). The latest available wave for the HAPS is 2008. It is important to note that as with any sample survey, estimates from the HAPS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results. At the constituency level the group in question is very specific and the estimate is based on very small sample sizes. Therefore, the margin of uncertainty is very large for this estimate and the figure is deemed unreliable and would not be used by the Department for Work and Pensions for practical purposes.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to change the system of payment of mortgage interest for those who claim jobseeker's allowance.

Chris Grayling: A two year time limit for jobseeker's allowance customers was introduced in January 2009. There are no current plans to make further changes, but the Government are in the early stages of considering future policy on support for mortgage interest.

Pension Credit: Richmond Park

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Richmond Park constituency claim pension credit.

Steve Webb: The information available is in the table.
	
		
			  Parliamentary constituency  Pension credit individual beneficiaries  Pension credit household recipients 
			 Richmond Park 3,170 2,760 
			  Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 3. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data as at November 2009

Pensioners

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in  (a) Slough,  (b) Salisbury and  (c) Scarborough and Whitby constituency receive (i) the basic state pension and (ii) pension credit.

Steve Webb: The information available is in the following table.
	
		
			  Parliamentary constituency  State pension recipients  Pension credit individual beneficiaries  Pension credit household recipients 
			 Slough 13,440 5,280 4,330 
			 Salisbury 20,250 3,770 3,150 
			 Scarborough and Whitby 24,330 7,430 6,000 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. State pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only. 3. Basic state pension only figures are not available by current 2010 parliamentary constituencies. 4. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 5. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data as at November 2009

Pensioners

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners receive  (a) the basic state pension and  (b) pension credit in (i) Glasgow North and (ii) Ealing Central and Acton constituency.

Steve Webb: The information available is in the following table.
	
		
			  Parliamentary constituency  State pension recipients  Pension credit individual beneficiaries  Pension credit household recipients 
			 Glasgow North 8,940 4,580 3,990 
			 Ealing Central and Acton 13,160 4,540 3,930 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. State pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only. 3. Basic state pension only figures are not available by current 2010 parliamentary constituencies. 4. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 5. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data as at November 2009

Pensioners: Ashton-in-Makerfield

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners receive  (a) the basic state pension and  (b) pension credit in Makerfield constituency.

Steve Webb: The information available is in the following table.
	
		
			  Parliamentary constituency: Makerfield 
			   Number 
			 State pension recipients 18,680 
			 Pension credit individual beneficiaries 6,210 
			 Pension credit household recipients 4,870 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. State pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only. 3. Basic state pension only figures are not available by current 2010 parliamentary constituencies. 4. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 5. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data as at November 2009

Pensioners: Bishop Auckland

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in  (a) Bishop Auckland and  (b) Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency receive (i) the basic state pension and (ii) pension credit.

Steve Webb: The information available is in the table.
	
		
			  Parliamentary constituency  State pension recipients  Pension credit individual beneficiaries  Pension credit household recipients 
			 Bishop Auckland 19,030 7,460 5,940 
			 Blackpool North and Cleveleys 20,950 7,250 5,880 
			  Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. State pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only. 3. Basic state pension only figures are not available by current 2010 parliamentary constituencies. 4. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 5. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data as at November 2009.

Pensioners: Enfield

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners resident in  (a) the London borough of Enfield and  (b) Enfield North constituency are in receipt of (i) the basic state pension and (ii) pension credit.

Steve Webb: The information available is in the table.
	
		
			  Area  State pension recipients  Pension credit individual beneficiaries  Pension credit household recipients 
			 Enfield local authority 42,700 14,750 11,860 
			 Enfield North parliamentary constituency 14,050 4,550 3,730 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. State pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only. 3. Basic state pension only figures are not available by current 2010 parliamentary constituencies. 4. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 5. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent data as at November 2009

Pensioners: Greater Manchester

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people receive  (a) the basic state pension and  (b) pension credit in Stretford and Urmston constituency.

Steve Webb: The information available is in the table.
	
		
			  Parliamentary constituency  State pension recipients  Pension credit individual beneficiaries  Pension credit household recipients 
			 Stretford and Urmston 16,850 5,380 4,490 
			  Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. State pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only. 3. Basic state pension only figures are not available by current 2010 parliamentary constituencies. 4. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 5. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data as at November 2009.

Pensioners: Houghton-le-Spring

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners receive  (a) the basic state pension and  (b) pension credit in Houghton and Sunderland South constituency.

Steve Webb: The information available is in the table.
	
		
			  Houghton and Sunderland South parliamentary constituency 
			   Number 
			 State pension recipients 18,740 
			 Pension credit individual beneficiaries 8,130 
			 Pension credit household recipients 6,470 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. State pension figures are for the total State Pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only. 3. Basic state pension only figures are not available by current 2010 parliamentary constituencies. 4. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 5. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data as at November 2009.

Pensioners: Hull

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Kingston upon Hull North constituency receive  (a) the basic state pension and  (b) pension credit.

Steve Webb: The information available is in the table.
	
		
			  Parliamentary constituency  State pension recipients  Pension credit individual beneficiaries  Pension credit household recipients 
			 Kingston upon Hull 12,860 6,570 5,190 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. State pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only. 3. Basic state pension only figures are not available by current 2010 parliamentary constituencies. 4. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 5. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data as at November 2009

Pensioners: Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners receive  (a) the basic state pension and  (b) pension credit in West Lancashire constituency.

Steve Webb: The information available is in the table.
	
		
			  Parliamentary constituency  State pension recipients  Pension credit individual beneficiaries  Pension credit household recipients 
			 West Lancashire 18,680 6,240 4,990 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. State Pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of. state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only. 3. Basic state pension only figures are not available by current 2010 parliamentary constituencies. 4. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 5. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent data as at November 2009

Pensioners: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will extend the terms of reference of his Department's review into public sector pensions to include the pension arrangements of Government special advisers.

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	Special advisers working for the Government are members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme, and this scheme falls within the scope of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission.

Pensioners: Motherwell

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Motherwell and Wishaw constituency are in receipt of  (a) the basic state pension and  (b) pension credit.

Steve Webb: The information available is in the table.
	
		
			  Motherwell and Wishaw parliamentary constituency 
			   Number 
			 State pension recipients 16,280 
			 Pension credit individual beneficiaries 7,770 
			 Pension credit household recipients 6,420 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. State pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only. 3. Basic state pension only figures are not available by current 2010 parliamentary constituencies. 4. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 5. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data as at November 2009

Pensioners: Worsley

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners receive  (a) the basic state pension and  (b) pension credit in Worsley and Eccles South constituency.

Steve Webb: The information available is in the table.
	
		
			  Parliamentary constituency  State pension recipients  Pension credit individual beneficiaries  Pension credit household recipients 
			 Worsley and Eccles South 17,630 6,590 5,380 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. State pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only.  3. Basic state pension only figures are not available by current 2010 parliamentary constituencies. 4. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 5. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data as at November 2009

Pensions Act 2008

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has made an assessment of the suitability of August as the month during which the implementation date for the Pensions Act 2008 falls.

Steve Webb: The Pensions Act 2008 will be implemented from October 2012, with employers being brought under the duties gradually, over a four year period. Employers are due to be brought within the scope of the employer duties in a series of monthly stages, starting with the largest firms, with the majority of the smallest companies being brought in from August 2014.
	Staging is essential to ensure the reforms are implemented safely and fairly. Following extensive work with our delivery partners, we have determined that staging in multiple tranches over four years strikes the right balance between managing operational risks and getting people into saving quickly.
	We consulted widely on our implementation approach and have discussed whether to avoid staging during certain times of year, to reduce burdens on businesses. Based on advice from stakeholders, we have ensured that employers will not be staged in during December.
	In addition, to provide maximum flexibility, employers scheduled for the month of August will be free to bring their date forward to an alternative month, provided this is not before October 2012.

Social Security Benefits

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the distributional effects of the proposed changes in welfare benefits by income decile of the population in  (a) the UK,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Northern Ireland,  (d) Wales,  (e) England and  (f) each English region in each year from 2010-11 to 2015-16; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
	This Government have published for the first time estimates of the distributional impact of announced tax and benefit measures.
	Estimates of the distributional impact of tax credit and benefits changes implemented in 2012-13 at the UK level are set out in annex A of the Budget document:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_annexa.pdf
	"Budget 2010: Data sources" provides a full list of modelled measures:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_data_sources.pdf
	Estimates for 2010-11 are not available as the tax credit and benefit measures that we are able to model have an impact from 2011-12 onward.
	Looking at the impact of welfare benefits changes in 2011-12 would only show a partial effect as it is only in 2012-13 that tax credit changes will be fully implemented. Estimates post 2012-13 are not available due to greater uncertainty surrounding longer term economic forecasts underpinning the modelling.
	Estimates of changes in welfare benefits by income decile are only available at UK level as lower geographical disaggregations do not provide sufficiently robust results.

Social Security Benefits: Lewisham

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are in receipt of  (a) disability living allowance,  (b) incapacity benefit and  (c) employment and support allowance in Lewisham East constituency.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Employment support allowance claimants, incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance, and disability living allowance: November 2009 
			  Parliamentary constituency  ESA  IB/SDA  DLA 
			 Lewisham East 780 3,800 5,000 
			  Notes: 1. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment support allowance (ESA) from October 2008. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10, some additional disclosure has been applied. 3. Caseload for DLA show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 4. Constituencies used are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010. 5. IB/SDA 'Claimants' include people in receipt of benefit and also those who fail the contributions conditions but receive a national insurance credit, i.e. 'credits only cases'.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data.

Unemployment: Older Workers

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to tackle unemployment among those over 50 years old; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: We have announced plans for radical reforms of the welfare to work system and the implementation of the Work Programme. The Work Programme will be an integrated package of support providing personalised help for people who find themselves out of work regardless of the benefit they claim. This is being designed to meet the needs of jobseekers of all ages including people aged over 50.
	We aim to have the new Work Programme in place nationally by the summer of 2011.
	Alongside the core Work Programme we will introduce a series of support measures such as, help for business start ups, Work Clubs, and specialised pre-employment training and work placements.
	Recognising the particular issues some older jobseekers face, we have produced good practice and support materials to help advisers and providers working with customers aged over 50 who are seeking work.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate Change: International Cooperation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to secure a legally binding international treaty on climate change.

Gregory Barker: The Government are committed to seeking an ambitious global deal to tackle climate change. The Government are playing their full part in the international negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
	By the time of the Climate Change Conference in Cancun in November this year, we aim to make substantial progress towards agreement on the key elements of a legally binding international agreement.

Climate Change: International Cooperation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on proposals for a legally binding international treaty on climate change.

Gregory Barker: The Government are committed to reaching an international deal to reduce emissions and we are committed to working with other Governments and international interlocutors to achieve this.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has already had a number of meetings and made telephone calls to a number of countries. Most recently he met with counterparts in the margins of the Major Economies Forum in Rome (30 June-1 July).

Departmental Buildings

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many buildings his Department occupies in  (a) London and  (b) the UK.

Gregory Barker: The Department fully occupies one building in London (3 Whitehall Place) and part-occupies one building in Aberdeen (Atholl House, Guild Street).

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to reduce the level of his Department's carbon emissions by 10% in the next 12 months.

Gregory Barker: On 14 May 2010, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced, during a visit to DECC's London headquarters, a commitment to reduce central Government emissions by 10% in the next 12 months. DECC will play its full part by reducing its emissions from electricity and gas use on its estate by at least 10% over this period, on top of the 20% CO2 reduction secured in the 2009-10 financial year.
	The measures the Department intends to take include changes to lighting, heating and cooling systems and a staff engagement programme to encourage behaviour change to reduce energy use further. The Department regularly reports progress on energy efficiency on its website, where a real-time energy monitor is also available that provides live information updated every five seconds on electricity and gas use.

Departmental Official Photographs

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on official photographs of Ministers since the formation of the present administration.

Gregory Barker: The total spent by DECC on official photographs of Ministers since the formation of the Government is £39.

Fuel Poverty: Richmond Park

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many and what proportion of households in Richmond Park constituency are in fuel poverty.

Gregory Barker: The most recently available sub-regional split of fuel poverty relates to 2006, and shows that there were 3,300 households in the Richmond Park constituency that were classified as living in fuel poverty. This is equivalent to 6.9% of all households in the Richmond Park constituency.

Green Investment Bank

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what representations he has received on the creation of a green investment bank.

Gregory Barker: The Government will put forward detailed proposals on the creation of a green investment bank following the spending review.
	A wide range of options for the scope and structure of the green investment bank are being considered. The Government have received a number of representations in this respect, including the findings and recommendations of the review undertaken by Bob Wigley and his panel, which was published last month.

Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change planning session in October 2010 will be conducted under the terms of the Aarhus Convention.

Gregory Barker: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) conducts its meetings in accordance with its own rules of procedure which are available on its website. Not all of the IPCC member states are party to the convention and we cannot comment on whether the IPCC's planning session will be conducted under the terms of the Aarhus Convention, although all papers from the meeting will be made available on the IPCC website. However, the UK is a party to the convention and we will continue encouraging the IPCC to continue to be as open in terms of its processes and procedures as possible.

Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proposed changes in the conduct of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessments and procedures he plans to support at the IPCC plenary session in October 2010.

Gregory Barker: We have been asked to comment on the current rules of procedure for election of the IPCC bureau and any task force bureau and this will be discussed at plenary in October. Apart from this, we currently have no plans to propose changes to the IPCC at the meeting. The October meeting will consider the outcomes of the IAC review and we will consider what implications this has for the IPCC within that meeting.

Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the name is of each representative of the Government who will attend the plenary session of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change in October 2010.

Gregory Barker: The UK delegation to the IPCC plenary session in October has not yet been selected.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to increase the feed-in tariff to a rate of 41p per kilowatt in relation to photovoltaic panels.

Gregory Barker: A generation tariff rate of 41.3p/kWh is paid for solar photovoltaic installations of 4 kW or less in capacity. This would equate to a typical domestic sized installation which would also benefit from the additional export tariff rate of 3p/kWh.
	The table of tariffs, available from our website at:
	www.decc.gov.uk/fits
	and reproduced as follows, details the rates, banded by scale, for eligible technologies.
	
		
			  Table of tariffs up to 2013 
			Tariff level for new installations in period (p/kWh)( 1)  
			  Technology  Scale  Year 1: 1 April 2010-31 March 2011  Year 2: 1 April 2011-31 March  20 12  Year 3: 1 April 2012- 31  March 2013  Tariff lifetime (years) 
			 Anaerobic digestion =500 kW 11.5 11.5 11.5 20 
			 Anaerobic digestion >500 kW 9.0 9.0 9.0 20 
			 Hydro =15 kW 19.9 19.9 19.9 20 
			 Hydro >15-100 kW 17.8 17.8 17.8 20 
			 Hydro >100 kW-2 MW 11.0 11.0 11.0 20 
			 Hydro >2 MW-5 MW 4.5 4.5 4.5 20 
			 MicroCHP pilot <2 kW 10 10 10 10 
			 PV =4 kW (new build) 36.1 36.1 33.0 25 
			 PV =4 kW (retrofit) 41.3 41.3 37.8 25 
			 PV >4-10 kW 36.1 36.1 33.0 25 
			 PV >10-100 kW 31.4 31.4 28.7 25 
			 PV >100 kW-5 MW 29.3 29.3 26.8 25 
			 PV Stand alone system 29.3 29.3 26.8 25 
			 Wind =1.5 kW 34.5 34.5 32.6 20 
			 Wind >1.5-15 kW 26.7 26.7 25.5 20 
			 Wind >15-100 kW 24.1 24.1 23.0 20 
			 Wind >100-500 kW 18.8 18.8 18.8 20 
			 Wind >500 kW-1.5MW 9.4 9.4 9.4 20 
			 Wind >1.5 MW-5 MW 4.5 4.5 4.5 20 
			 Existing microgenerators transferred from the RO 9 9.0 9.0 to 2027 
			 (1 )Tariffs will be inflated annually.

Taxation: Carbon Emissions

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect of the measures in the June 2010 Budget on funding for transition to a low-carbon future.

Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
	The June Budget set the overall spending envelope for Government; consistent with reducing the deficit, and meeting the fiscal mandate of achieving cyclically adjusted current balance by the end of the rolling, five year forecast period. The allocation of this spending across Government's priorities will be decided in the course of the Spending Review, to be concluded on 20 October.

Wind Power

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on wind farms.

Charles Hendry: The Government are committed to the development of wind energy in the UK. As an island nation we have outstanding wind resources and wind energy is an indigenous source of energy which is needed to meet our renewable energy and climate change goals. The wind industry can be a key player in creating the investment, exports and jobs we need to bring back economic prosperity, and the UK is already a world leader in offshore wind.
	We also want communities and individuals to benefit from the increase in renewable energy, including wind power, and to own a stake in our collective low carbon future. This is why we committed in the Coalition programme for Government to encouraging more community-owned renewable energy and allowing communities that host renewable energy projects to keep the additional business rates they generate.

Wind Power

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the effects of wind turbines on the health of nearby residents.

Charles Hendry: The planning process requires developers and planners to evaluate the likely impact of issues such as noise and shadow flicker from wind turbines on local residents and those working in the vicinity. Planning authorities can and do refuse planning permission for proposed wind farms where there are likely to be significant impacts which cannot be acceptably mitigated.
	A study was commissioned in 2007 into a noise phenomenon known as aerodynamic modulation (AM), which it is was thought could be a cause of noise disturbance for nearby residents. The study found that the incidence of AM resulting from wind farms in the UK is low. Out of the 133 wind farms in operation at the time, there were four cases where AM appeared to be a factor. Complaints have subsided for three out of these four sites.

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to reduce the incidence of alcohol abuse.

Anne Milton: Alcohol is a major public health issue. We are determined to ensure effective commissioning of national health service services, with a focus on prevention and good outcomes from treatment, including treatment for alcohol abuse.
	We are committed to banning the sale of alcohol below cost, to reviewing alcohol taxation and pricing to ensure it tackles binge drinking without unfairly penalising responsible drinkers, pubs and important local industries. We are committed to introducing a tougher licensing regime.
	We will set out our plans in more detail through announcements in the coming months.

Benzodiazepines and Antidepressants

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions of  (a) individual benzodiazepine drugs and  (b) antidepressants were dispensed in the community in 2009.

Simon Burns: The information requested is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Benzodiazepine prescription items classified as hypnotics and anxiolytics in sections 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 of the British National Formulary (BNF) and dispensed in the community in England in 2009 
			  BNF chemical name  Prescription items ( T housand) 
			 Alprazolam (1)- 
			 Chlordiazepoxide Hydrochloride 239.6 
			 Diazepam 5,014.0 
			 Flurazepam Hydrochloride (1)- 
			 Loprazolam Mesilate 96.3 
			 Lorazepam 930.7 
			 Lormetazepam 72.3 
			 Nitrazepam 1,100.5 
			 Oxazepam 171.5 
			 Temazepam 2,969.0 
			 (1) Less than 50 prescription items dispensed  Source: Prescription Cost Analysis 
		
	
	
		
			  Benzodiazepine prescription items classified as antiepileptic drugs in sections 4.8.1 and 4.8.2 of the British National Formulary (BNF) and dispensed in the community in England in 2009 
			  BNF chemical name  Prescription items ( T housand) 
			 Clonazepam 574.6 
			 Clobazam 173.5 
			 Midazolam 25.6 
			  Source: Prescription Cost Analysis 
		
	
	
		
			  Benzodiazepine prescription items classified as sedative and analgesic peri-operative drugs in section 15.1.4 of the British National Formulary (BNF) and dispensed in the community in England in 2009 
			  BNF chemical name  Prescription items ( T housand) 
			 Midazolam 68.9 
			  Source: Prescription Cost Analysis 
		
	
	
		
			  Antidepressant prescription items classified in section 4.3 of the British National Formulary (BNF) and dispensed in the community in England 2009 
			  BNF chemical name  Prescription items ( T housand) 
			 Agomelatine 5.2 
			 Amitriptyline Hydrochloride 7,901.5 
			 Amoxapine (1)- 
			 Citalopram Hydrobromide 10,445.9 
			 Citalopram Hydrochloride 65.1 
			 Clomipramine Hydrochloride 360.0 
			 Dosulepin Hydrochloride 1,832.0 
			 Doxepin 46.8 
			 Duloxetine Hydrochloride 462.7 
			 Escitalopram 1,250.8 
			 Fluoxetine Hydrochloride 5,220.01 
			 Flupentixol Hydrochloride 185.5 
			 Fluvoxamine Maleate 28.8 
			 Imipramine Hydrochloride 196.8 
			 Isocarboxazid 2.9 
			 Lofepramine Hydrochloride 361.0 
			 Maprotiline Hydrochloride (1)- 
			 Mianserin Hydrochloride 9.8 
			 Mirtazapine 2,854.5 
			 Moclobemide 24.6 
			 Nefazodone Hydrochloride 0.5 
			 Nortriptyline 264.3 
			 Paroxetine Hydrochloride 1,637.7 
			 Phenelzine Sulphate 22.7 
			 Reboxetine 53.51 
			 Sertraline Hydrochloride 2,395.4 
			 Tranylcypromine Sulphate 11.7 
			 Trazodone Hydrochloride 849.1 
			 Trimipramine Maleate 130.3 
			 Tryptophan 12.4 
			 Venlafaxine 2,509.0 
			 (1) Less than 50 prescription items dispensed  Source: Prescription Cost Analysis

Departmental Official Cars

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Ministers in his Department have used an allocated ministerial car to travel between his Department and the House of Commons on each day since 21 May 2010.

Simon Burns: This information is not recorded by the Department. However, Ministers based at Richmond house regularly walk to the House.

Departmental Property

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what property has been recorded as  (a) lost and  (b) stolen from the Department in the last 12 months; and what estimate has been made of the cost of the replacement of that property.

Simon Burns: The following table outlines information technology (IT) losses for financial year 2009-10 and is the latest information held. No losses of other departmental property have been reported. No distinction is made between items lost or stolen.
	
		
			  IT Equipment Losses 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 
			  Items  Total items lost or stolen during the year  Total Monetary loss for the year (£) 
			 Mobile Telephones 15 1,080.15 
			 Laptops 22 22,088.35 
			 Psions, PalmPilots, Ipaqs, BlackBerries 46 10,778.09 
			 Projectors 1 934.12 
			 Storage devices (memory sticks etc) 2 15.00 
			 Other IT equipment 18 2,442.48 
			 Total Losses 104 37,338.19

Departmental Public Expenditure

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on  (a) refreshments and  (b) furnishings in his private office in each year from 2005 to 2010.

Simon Burns: Departmental records show that expenditure on refreshments and furnishings in the Secretary of State's office in the years requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010( 1) 
			 Refreshments 9214.21 22,492.56 11,934.56 4,013.58 2,393.62 485.17 
			 Furnishings 0 0 0 4,710.00 0 0 
			 (1) To the present.

Fats: Health Hazards

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on proposals to ban industrially-produced trans fatty acids.

Anne Milton: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received a number of representations from members of the public and also a wide-ranging report on the prevention of cardiovascular disease at a population level from the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statistical information his Department holds on the effect on levels of health inequality of the addition of fluoride to the water supply since the commencement of the Water Act 2003.

Anne Milton: There have been no new fluoridation schemes since 2003. However, the potential that fluoridation offers for reducing inequalities in oral health is well illustrated by data from nationally coordinated surveys of child dental health, a copy of which has been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.bascd.org/annual_survey_results.php
	By way of example, a survey conducted in 2007-08 shows five-year-old children in Sandwell, in the fluoridated West Midlands, have on average 1.1 decayed, missing or filled tooth compared with an average of 2.4 in Blackburn, an area of a similar socio-economic profile in the North West where the water is not fluoridated. Equally significant is information from the 2009 health profile for the West Midlands, which covered a wide range of indices including life expectancy, infant deaths, violent crime and drug misuse. The profile shows that, of all the indices, only those for tooth decay and road injuries and deaths in the West Midlands were below the national average. A copy of the profile has been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.apho.org.uk/default.aspx?QN=HP_REGIONS_2009

Food: Advertising

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on restrictions on the scheduling of television advertising of food and drink with high levels of fat, salt or sugar.

Anne Milton: The television regulator Ofcom has placed scheduling restrictions on the broadcast advertising of foods high in fat, salt and sugar during children's programmes and programmes of particular appeal to children up to the age of 16.
	We will consider this issue further as we develop our public health proposals.

Food: Labelling

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have had with representatives of the food industry on the effects of the provision of food label information on the (i) salt, (ii) sugar and (iii) fat content of foods on the ability of people to manage their (A) diabetes, (B) heart disease, (C) stroke, (D) obesity and (E) other chronic medical conditions; what recent representations he has received on those matters; what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on those matters; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: Ministers have not had any recent discussions with the food industry or representations on the provision of nutritional information on food labels. The Government are considering a number of schemes at the moment. It is important that people have nutritional information on the pack of food they buy, so that they can make good choices about what they eat.
	We will be having discussions with Ministers across Government as we develop our public health proposals.
	Officials regularly meet with food manufacturers, retailers and trade organisations to discuss a range of public health issues. This includes discussion about nutritional labelling.

Health Visitors: Waltham Forest

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the health of residents of the London Borough of Waltham Forest of implementing his proposed increase in the number of health visitors; and when he expects to allocate funding to support such an increase.

Anne Milton: Growing numbers of health visitors will mean extra support for children and families, especially at the start of life. The Coalition Agreement has made a commitment to increasing the number of health visitors.

Hospitals: Consultants

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on ending the system of merit awards to NHS consultants; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: From 2004, clinical excellence awards were made as a replacement for distinction awards. We are looking at these payments in the context of the Government's approach to public sector pay.

Hospitals: Consultants

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS paid in merit awards to consultants in the last 12 months.

Simon Burns: From 2004, clinical excellence awards were made as a replacement for distinction awards.
	For the financial year 2009-10, the national health service paid £202.2 million to consultants for national clinical excellence awards and distinction awards.
	We are looking at this type of payment in the context of the Government's approach to public sector pay.
	 Notes:
	1. The information above does not include information on local clinical excellence awards (employer based awards) which are paid by trusts.
	2. The information above does not include national clinical excellence awards that are paid from central funds to consultants holding a NHS contract and employed in the Department or arms length bodies.

Hospitals: Food

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to ban the sale of  (a) tea and coffee with sugar and  (b) cheddar cheese sandwiches in hospitals.

Anne Milton: No.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust on the case of Mrs Rose Gibb.

Simon Burns: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had any recent discussions with Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust on the case of Mrs Rose Gibb.

Mental Health Services

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to prevent people developing mental health problems.

Paul Burstow: We have already pledged £70 million in the current financial year to support the expansion of psychological therapies and are actively considering how best to make further progress. The focus will in particular be on services that, when delivered early, can help to minimise the severity of mental illness and help people move to recovery.
	More generally, the national health service will be backed with increased real resources, although we recognise that there are still efficiencies to be made. However, we intend to make sure front-line services in the NHS as a whole are protected from cuts.
	We also recognise the importance of promoting good public health and preventing ill-health. Mental illness is common, often debilitating, and closely linked to physical illness. Understanding and addressing the causes of mental ill-health will be central to our plans for public health.

NHS: ICT

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the cost of the Connecting for Health programme.

Simon Burns: The National Programme for Information Technology (NPfIT) is currently forecast to cost some £12.052 billion to 2015-16. This figure derives from a 2008 National Audit Office estimate based on the then existing contracted costs and forecast central costs, at 2004-05 prices, adjusted to take account of £600 million of savings announced by the previous Government.
	We will be revisiting NPfIT expenditure plans in the context of the forthcoming spending review.

NHS: Social Responsibility

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much and what proportion of the current NHS corporate social responsibility settlement has been transferred to social care.

Paul Burstow: We understand the hon. Member is referring to the Comprehensive Spending Review settlement. As set out in our latest Departmental Report (table A.2), transfers between the national health service and Personal Social Services within the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review settlement are: £167 million in 2008-09, £272 million in 2009-10, and £250 million in 2010-11. This represents 0.18%, 0.28% and 0.24% of the overall current NHS net revenue settlement.

NHS: Standards

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2010,  Official Report, column 699, on NHS targets, if he will publish the representations on NHS targets he has received in the last seven weeks.

Simon Burns: The Department has received correspondence from hon. Members and the public about national health service targets and waiting times.
	The Department does not routinely publish individual responses to correspondence as these may contain personal details, publication of which could lead to distress to the individuals concerned.

NHS: Standards

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how his Department will publish information on whether the quality measures for stroke, dementia and blood clots are met.

Simon Burns: Quality Standards are advice from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on high quality care. The first three quality standards for dementia, stroke and the prevention of venous thromboembolism were published on 30 June. Quality standards set out the structures and processes that the evidence suggests are most likely to deliver high quality care. The measures that accompany each of the statements within a quality standard support local monitoring, for example by commissioners.
	Although some of the data underpinning the measures may be published as part of national data collections, our focus as a Government is on measuring the outcomes of the treatment and care provided to patients rather than processes involved. We intend to set out our vision for an outcomes framework for the national health service shortly.

NHS: Temporary Employment

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many temporary staff are employed by  (a) his Department and  (b) the NHS.

Simon Burns: In the last full year, an average of 58.3 full-time equivalent temporary civil servants and an average of 865.8 full-time equivalent temporary workers (agency staff and contractors) worked in the Department.
	For the national health service: the workforce census does not distinguish staff by type of contract. However numbers of bank nursing staff can be shown. The bank staff figures exclude doctors and all other non-medical staff.
	The total bank nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff in England NHS hospital and community health services as at 30 September 2009 was 66,693.

Obesity

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made a recent estimate of the cost to the economy of illness, economic inactivity and premature death associated with overweight and obesity; what recent discussions  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have had with Ministerial colleagues on that matter; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: In 2007, the Foresight team which is part of the Government Office for Science published 'Tackling Obesities: Future Choices'. The Foresight team estimated the cost of obesity and overweight to the national health service to be £4.2 billion per year. The cost to the economy was estimated to be £16 billion per year.

Obesity

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the rate of  (a) obesity and  (b) smoking among (i) males and (ii) females in each age group (A) in Southend, (B) in each borough in Essex, (C) in the Metropolitan Police area of London and (D) nationally.

Anne Milton: Information is not available in the format requested.
	Information on the percentage of obese adults aged 16 and over in England is available in the 'Health Survey for England-2008 trend tables', Adult trend tables, Table 4. Information is provided for adults (Men and Women) aged 16 and over in England for the years 1993 to 2008. This publication has already been placed in the Library.
	The proportion of adults aged 16 and over recorded as obese by strategic health authority area for 2008 is available in Table 7.3 on page 194 of the 'Health Survey for England-2008: physical activity and fitness'. This publication has been placed in the Library.
	Information on prevalence of cigarette smoking by sex, country, and Government Office Region of England is contained within Table 1.11 of the General Lifestyle Survey 'Smoking and Drinking among adults, 2008', published by the Office for National Statistics. This publication has been placed in the Library.

Obesity: Children

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made in the number of children in each age group who were classified as  (a) overweight and  (b) obese (i) in Southend, (ii) in each borough in (A) Essex and (B) Kent, (iii) the Metropolitan Police area of London and (iv) nationally in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: Information is not available in the format requested.
	Information on the percentage of overweight and obese children in England is available in the "Health Survey for England-2008 trend tables", child trend tables, table 4. Information is provided for children aged two to 15 in England for the years 1995 to 2008. This publication has already been placed in the Library.
	Information on the proportion of children aged two to 15 recorded as overweight and obese by strategic health authority area is available for 2008 in table 13.3 (P327) of the "Health Survey for England-2008: Physical activity and Fitness report". This publication has already been placed in the Library.
	Further information on the proportion of children who are overweight and obese in England is collected through the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP). Table A and table B of the following reports-"National Child Measurement Programme: England, 2008/09 School Year"; "National Child Measurement Programme 2007/08 School Year, Headline Results"; and "National Child Measurement Programme: 2006/07 School Year, Headline Results" show the prevalence of overweight and obese children aged four to five years and 10 to 11 years by primary care trust, and strategic health authority area. Copies of the publications have already been placed in the Library.

Smoking

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether his Department has made an assessment of whether the introduction of the smoking ban in July 2007 affected the incidence of smoking in homes in the presence of children;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the smoking ban on public houses and private members' clubs;
	(3)  what plans he has to review the smoking ban; and what public consultation will be held as part of that review.

Anne Milton: From July 2007 the implementation of smokefree legislation, there has been consistently high rates of compliance and public support. Opinion surveys suggest that over eight in 10 people are in support of the law.
	According to the Office for National Statistics publication 'Smoking-related Behaviours and Attitudes' in 2008-09, 69% of people said that smoking was not allowed at all in their home, since 2006 when 61% of people said this. A copy of this publication has already been placed in the Library. Research evidence from England and internationally also demonstrates that smokefree legislation is effective in reducing exposure to second hand smoke (SHS) in adults and in children, and that there is no significant evidence that introducing smokefree legislation for public places displaces smoking into the home.
	Research evidence has shown that bar workers' exposure to SHS has reduced substantially and that the health of these workers has improved. (Semple, S. et al. (2010). 'UK smokefree legislation: changes in PM 2.5 concentrations in bars in Scotland, England and Wales' in  Ann.Occup.Hyg., 54, 3, pp.272-280).
	The Government currently have no plans to review the legislation.

Smoking

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and  (b) public health organisations on the NICE recommendation that smoking in (i) cars and (ii) public areas used by children and young people under the age of 18 be prohibited.

Anne Milton: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has not made a recommendation that smoking be prohibited in these circumstances. Therefore, no discussions have taken place.
	On 23 June 2010, NICE published public health guidance titled 'How to stop smoking in pregnancy and following childbirth'. For partners and others in the household who smoke, the guidance recommends not smoking around the pregnant woman, mother or baby. This includes not smoking in the house or car (recommendation 7). The NICE publication is available on the internet at:
	http://guidance.nice.org.uk/PH26

Smoking: Young People

Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research into the causes of smoking in young people his Department has evaluated; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: Smoking by young people is a serious public health problem, and the Department keeps published research in this area under review.
	In 2009, the Public Health Research Consortium (PHRC) published "A Review of Young People and Smoking in England". The PHRC reported that becoming a smoker is influenced by a range of factors at an individual, family, social, community and societal level. Young people are most at risk of becoming smokers if they grow up and move in social networks where smoking is accepted and perceived to have positive value within social relationships.
	The PHRC report is available on the internet at:
	www.york.ac.uk/phrc/papers.htm
	We are currently considering how best to tackle this issue in the context of our focus on public health, and our priorities given the challenges facing public sector finances.

Social Services: Manpower

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the likely number of social workers that will be employed in the UK in 2010.

Paul Burstow: It is estimated that there are 79,000 social workers employed in England currently. The Department does not estimate the likely number of social workers that will be employed in the United Kingdom. It is for local social care employers to determine the number of social workers they need to employ in order to deliver the appropriate services in their community.

Treatment Centres

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of independent sector treatment centres' exclusion criteria on NHS teaching hospitals within the same or a neighbourhood NHS trust.

Simon Burns: There has been no formal assessment of the effects of independent sector treatment centres' (ISTC) exclusion criteria on national health service teaching hospitals within the same or a neighbouring NHS trust.
	Trainee clinical professionals are able to undertake training at ISTCs as part of their training placement circuit. Independent sector organisations hosting training are subject to the same audit by relevant bodies as other NHS organisations.
	Under Wave One of the ISTC programme, junior doctor training was only required where the case mix involved transferred activity. Under phase two of the ISTC programme, ISTCs provide new training opportunities across the entire clinical pathway, as appropriate to the case mix, for all clinical staff including junior doctors.
	Training is assessed and agreed with ISTC providers by the relevant Deanery and educational institutions. Deaneries ensure that ISTC providers meet all of the accreditation requirements of the Post-graduate Medical Education Training Board (PMETB) and non-medical professional regulatory bodies.
	Once a Deanery has approved an ISTC for educational placements, they enter into a training agreement with the respective provider. ISTCs are also represented on local education steering groups, run by their respective Deanery. These are mandatory requirements for all phase two ISTC contracts.

Tuberculosis

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to improve awareness of tuberculosis among  (a) health professionals and  (b) those most at risk.

Anne Milton: Increasing awareness of tuberculosis (TB) among health care professionals and groups most at risk of infection and providing accessible services are key factors in improving early diagnosis and treatment.
	The Department is funding TB Alert (a United Kingdom charity) to work with groups most vulnerable to TB, and with primary care health professionals to help to build the capacity of local national health service organisations, the wider public sector and third sector organisations to run local awareness-raising programmes.
	In addition, the Department is currently supporting a Find and Treat service in London to identify and treat cases of TB among people who are homeless or have other complex social needs. This service includes peer educators who raise awareness of TB among these groups and encourage them to get tested.

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the amendment of Articles 9 and 10 of the framework convention on tobacco control at the forthcoming conference of the parties to that convention; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) have undertaken to implement a range of effective and evidence-based tobacco control measures set out in the treaty, as well as to protect public health policy from tobacco industry influence. The articles of the FCTC, including articles 9 and 10 on the regulation of the contents of tobacco products and the regulation of tobacco product disclosures, are not being amended.

CABINET OFFICE

Business

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the five-year survival rate of small businesses was in  (a) Great Yarmouth constituency,  (b) the East of England and  (c) the UK in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what the five year survival rate of small businesses was in (a) Great Yarmouth constituency, (b) the East of England and (c) the UK in the latest period for which figures are available.
	Annual statistics on business births, deaths and survival are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	The table below contains the latest statistics available on small enterprise five year survival in Great Yarmouth parliamentary constituency, East of England and the United Kingdom.
	
		
			  The c ount of births in 2003 and t he count and percentage of five- year survival for enterprises with less than 50 employment 
			  Geography  2003 births  Five-year survival  Five-year percentage 
			 United Kingdom 266,525 124,160 46.6 
			 East of England 26,105 12,815 49.1 
			 Great Yarmouth 350 160 45.2 
		
	
	A small business is defined as an enterprise with less than 50 employment.

Business: Great Yarmouth

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many businesses  (a) started up and  (b) ceased in Great Yarmouth constituency in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 7 July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many businesses (a) started up and (b) ceased in Great Yarmouth constituency in each of the last five years.
	Annual statistics on business births, deaths and survival are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at www.statistics.gov.uk. The table below contains the latest statistics available on enterprise births and deaths in Great Yarmouth parliamentary constituency, the past five years.
	
		
			  Enterprise births and deaths, 2004-08, Great Yarmouth parliamentary constituency 
			   Births  Deaths 
			 2004 425 360 
			 2005 375 330 
			 2006 365 310 
			 2007 345 300 
			 2008 295 295

Business: Witham

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many small businesses in Witham constituency generated a turnover of  (a) between £70,000 to £100,000 and  (b) over £100,000 in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many small businesses in Witham constituency generated a turnover of (a) between £70,000 to £ 100,000 and (b) over £100,000 in the latest period for which figures are available.
	Annual statistics on business counts are available from the ONS release UK Business: Activity, Size and Location at
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	Data are for enterprises with less than 50 employment and for the ward areas that cover the new constituency of Witham for the year 2009.
	
		
			  Count of VAT and/or PAYE based enterprises with less than 50 employment for the area that covers the new constituency of Witham 
			  Turnover  Number of enterprises 
			 £70,000 to £99,000 610 
			 £100,000+ 2,180

Charities: Disability

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the name is of the charity which was the subject of the report of the Charity Commission inquiry published on 10 June 2010 entitled Inquiry into a Charity which supports disabled people; what the name is of  (a) its chief executive and  (b) each of its trustees; and which two councils made a complaint against the charity.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission to reply.
	 Letter from Andrew Hind, dated 30 June 2010:
	As the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, I have been asked to respond to your written Parliamentary Question on the inquiry report we published on 10 June 2010, in which we did not disclose the name of the charity involved or its chief executive, trustees or the complainants.
	As you may know, the Charity Commission has powers to open a statutory inquiry under Section 8 of the Charities Act 1993. We only use these powers in the most serious of cases, instead dealing with most complaints and concerns through working with charity trustees to rectify problems and put charities back on the right track. For reasons of transparency and accountability, and in order to disseminate "lessons learnt" to the wider sector, it is our usual and established policy to publish a report at the conclusion of a statutory inquiry.
	In the case in question, the legal advice was clear that, as a public body, the Commission's obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 prevent us from being able to disclose the identity of the charity or those connected to it. Regretfully, I cannot, therefore, answer your question directly. The decision not to name the charity is not in any way to absolve the trustees of any responsibility and, as you would expect, we continue to monitor the situation carefully. Although this is not the first time we have decided not to identify a charity we have investigated, I should emphasise just how exceptional it is for us to take this step.
	I hope this helps to explain our position. If you would like to discuss this further our Director of Legal Services and Compliance, Kenneth Dibble, would be happy to do so. Do contact my office to make arrangements.
	I hope this is helpful.

Civil Servants: Great Yarmouth

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make an assessment of the merits of relocating central Government jobs to Great Yarmouth.

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	No such assessment has been made.
	The location of public sector activity and plans for the Government's estate will be considered alongside other public spending issues over the course of the spending review.

Civil Servants: Networking

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his policy is on the attendance of civil servants at  (a) the Chemistry Club,  (b) the Climate Change Forum and  (c) other networking events provided by private sector companies.

Francis Maude: Civil servant's attendance at events is governed by the requirements of the Civil Service Code.

Deaths: Nutrition

David Amess: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many deaths  (a) in Southend,  (b) in Essex and  (c) nationally were attributed to an individual being (i) overweight and (ii) underweight in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths (a) in Southend, (b) in Essex and (c) nationally were attributed to an individual being (i) overweight and (ii) underweight in each of the last five years. (5402)
	The terms 'overweight' and 'underweight' are not normally used in the registration of deaths. Consequently, figures can only be provided for deaths recorded using the medically recognised terms 'obesity' and 'malnutrition' or 'effects of hunger'. The number of deaths so recorded is unlikely to be a complete or accurate reflection of the actual numbers of deaths which result, directly or indirectly, from being overweight or underweight.
	The tables attached provide the number of deaths where (i) obesity was the underlying cause of death (Table 1) or was mentioned on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor (Table 2), and where (ii) malnutrition was the underlying cause of death (Table 3) or malnutrition and effects of hunger were mentioned on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor (Table 4), for (a) Southend-on-Sea unitary authority, (b) Essex county and (c) England and Wales, for the years 2005 to 2009 (the latest year available).
	The number of deaths registered in England and Wales each year by sex, age and cause are published annually on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15096
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths where obesity was the underlying cause of death, Southend-on-Sea unitary authority, Essex county, and England and Wales, 2005 to 2009( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Southend-on-Sea  Essex  England and Wales 
			 2005 0 7 232 
			 2006 0 4 261 
			 2007 0 6 262 
			 2008 0 13 337 
			 2009 0 10 324 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code E66 (obesity). (2) Based on boundaries as of 2010. (3) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. (5) Figures for deaths registered in 2009 are provisional. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2. Number of deaths where obesity was mentioned on the death certificate, Southend-on-Sea unitary authority, Essex county, and England and Wales, 2005 to 2009( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Southend-on-Sea  Essex  England and Wales 
			 2005 2 22 993 
			 2006 0 23 1,150 
			 2007 1 38 1,203 
			 2008 0 54 1,479 
			 2009 2 38 1,672 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code E66 (obesity). Deaths were included where this cause was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor. Figures in Table 1 are therefore included in the figures in Table 2. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2010. (3) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. (5) Figures for deaths registered in 2009 are provisional. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3. Number of deaths where malnutrition was the underlying cause of death, Southend-on-Sea unitary authority, Essex county, and England and Wales, 2005 to 2000( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Southend-on-Sea  Essex  England and Wales 
			 2005 0 0 61 
			 2006 0 1 75 
			 2007 0 3 79 
			 2008 0 1 67 
			 2009 0 1 82 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes E40-E46 (malnutrition). (2) Based on boundaries as of 2010. (3 )Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. (5 )Figures for deaths registered in 2009 are provisional. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4. Number of deaths where malnutrition and effects of hunger were mentioned on the death certificate, Southend-on-Sea unitary authority, Essex county, and England and Wales, 2005 to 2009( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Southend-on-Sea  Essex  England and Wales 
			 2005 0 1 280 
			 2006 0 7 344 
			 2007 0 12 353 
			 2008 0 7 382 
			 2009 2 6 375 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes E40-E46 (malnutrition) and T73.0 (effects of hunger). Deaths were included where these causes were mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor. Effects of hunger is only ever recorded as a contributory factor. Figures in Table 3 are therefore included in the figures in Table 4. (2 )Based on boundaries as of 2010. (3) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. (5) Figures for deaths registered in 2009 are provisional.

Departmental Directors

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many candidates for the role of lead non-executive director his Department considered; and whether the role was  (a) open to competition and  (b) advertised;
	(2)  if he will publish the advice he received from the Cabinet Secretary on the process of appointment of the Government's lead non-executive director;
	(3)  what the  (a) statutory and  (b) prerogative basis is (i) for its appointment of a lead non-executive director for Government and (ii) the provision of advice to Ministers on the appointment of such directors to enhance boards of Government Departments;
	(4)  what criteria his Department used to determine the  (a) qualities and  (b) competencies required of the Government's lead non-executive director.

Francis Maude: The appointment of Lord Browne is a personal, non-statutory ministerial appointment made by the Minister for the Cabinet Office following interview by the Cabinet Secretary and Minister for the Cabinet Office. Lord Browne has been appointed on the basis of his long standing business experience. The appointment is unpaid and was not subject to open competition. .

Departmental Internet

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will place in the Library a copy of the tender document in respect of the Your Freedom website; how many companies tendered to build the website; and if he will make a statement.

Nicholas Clegg: holding answer 6 July 2010
	I have been asked to reply
	The Your Freedom web project was commissioned through a single tender action using the COI framework. This was because of the tight deadlines involved. There is no requirement to produce tender documentation for a single tender procurement.

Departmental Internet

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many staff in his Department have been allocated to work on the Your Freedom project; and on what date he expects the project to be completed.

Nicholas Clegg: holding answer 6 July 2010
	I have been asked to reply.
	10 staff from the strategic communications, press office, digital and policy teams have worked on the Your Freedom project. None of these staff worked on the project full-time and no new staff have been recruited. The project is on-going.

Departmental Lost Property

Pete Wishart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what property has been recorded as  (a) lost and  (b) stolen from the Department in the last 12 months; and what estimate has been made of the cost of the replacement of that property.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office has recorded one BlackBerry and one mobile phone reported as either lost or stolen in the last 12 months. The estimated cost of their replacement is £475.

Departmental NDPBs

Iain Wright: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the address is of the head office of each non-departmental public body for which his Department is responsible.

Francis Maude: As at 30 June 2010, the Cabinet Office is responsible for 11 small advisory non-departmental public bodies and two executive bodies.
	The Head Office addresses for the Non-Departmental Public Bodies are as shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Name of NDPB  Address of Head Office 
			  Executive NDPBs  
			 Capacitybuilders Commission for the Compact 77 Paradise Circus, Queensway, Birmingham B1 2DT 
			   
			  Advisory NDPBs  
			 Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) 3(rd) Floor, 35 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BQ 
			   
			 Civil Service Appeal Board (CSAB) Room G32, 22 Whitehall London SW1H 2WH 
			   
			 Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) 35 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BQ 
			 House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC)  
			   
			 Main Honours Advisory Committee Honours and Appointments Secretariat, Cabinet Office, Admiralty Arch (South Side) London SW1A 2WH 
			   
			 Office for the Civil Society Advisory Body Office for Civil Society 2(nd) Floor Admiralty Arch (South Side) London SW1A 2WH 
			   
			 Security Commission Security Vetting Appeals Panel Room 2.42, Ripley Building, 26 Whitehall, London SW1A 2WH 
			   
			 Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) Office of Manpower Economics, 6(th) Floor, Kingsgate House, 66-74 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6SW 
			   
			 Boundary Commission for England 2(nd) Floor, Steel House 11 Tothill Street London SW1H 9LJ 
			   
			 Boundary Commission for Wales Caradog House 1-6 St Andrews Place Cardiff CF10 3BE

Employment: Great Yarmouth

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in Great Yarmouth constituency are employed in the  (a) public and  (b) private sector.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people in Great Yarmouth constituency are employed in (a) public and (b) private sector. (5936)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Individuals are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the APS. Consequently, the classification of an individual's sector may differ from how they would be classified in the National Accounts.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. For the twelve month period January to December 2009 it is estimated there were 33,000 people employed in the private sector in Great Yarmouth parliamentary constituency, however estimates for the number of people employed in the public sector are not considered reliable for statistical purposes.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Jobseeker's Allowance: Great Yarmouth

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the claimant count in Great Yarmouth constituency was on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the claimant count in Great Yarmouth constituency was on the most recent date for which figures are available. (6208).
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles the number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system.
	There were 3,112 people resident in the Great Yarmouth constituency claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in May 2010.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Lone Parents

Ann McKechin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many lone parents there are in  (a) Glasgow North and  (b) Ealing Central and Acton constituency.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 7 July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many lone parents there are in (a) Glasgow North and (b) Ealing Central and Acton constituencies. (5997)
	The number and type of families in the UK can be estimated using the Annual Population Survey (APS). Estimates are provided for lone parent families which include at least one child aged under 16.
	The table below shows the latest available figures which are for 2008 on the 2008 parliamentary constituency boundaries. Data are provided for:
	(a) Glasgow North - boundaries unchanged since 2008, and
	(b) Ealing, Acton and Shepherds Bush - this contained 12 electoral wards in 2008, four more than the current parliamentary constituency for Ealing Central and Acton. The breakdown of the data available is not sufficiently detailed to determine whether the newly constituted parliamentary constituency contains the lone parent families.
	
		
			  Geographical area  Number of lone parent families-with at least one child under 16 (thousands) 
			 Glasgow North constituency (current) 2 
			 Haling, Acton and Shepherds Bush constituency (2008) 5 
			 Ealing Central and Acton constituency (current) n/a 
			 n/a = not available.  Source: APS January to December 2008

Lone Parents

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many lone parents there are in  (a) Slough,  (b) Salisbury and  (c) Scarborough and Whitby constituency.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 7 July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many lone parents there are in (a) Slough, (b) Salisbury and (c) Scarborough and Whitby constituencies. (6012)
	The number and type of families in the UK can be estimated using the Annual Population Survey (APS). Estimates are provided for lone parent families which include at least one child aged under 16.
	The table below shows the latest available figures which are for 2008 on the 2008 parliamentary constituency boundaries. Data are provided for:
	(a) Slough - boundaries unchanged since 2008,
	(b) Salisbury - this contained 27 electoral wards in 2008, six more than the current parliamentary constituency for Salisbury. The breakdown of the data available is not sufficiently detailed to determine whether the newly constituted parliamentary constituency contains the lone parent families, and
	(c) Scarborough and Whitby - boundaries unchanged since 2008.
	
		
			  Geographical area  Number of lone parent families-with at least one child under 16 (thousands) 
			 Slough constituency (current) 3 
			 Salisbury constituency (current) n/a 
			 Salisbury constituency (2008) 2 
			 Scarborough and Whitby constituency (current) 2 
			 n/a = not available.  Source: APS January to December 2008

Lone Parents: Ashton-in-Makerfield

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many lone parents there are in Makerfield constituency.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, 1 have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many lone parents there arc in Makerfield constituency. (6200)
	The number and type of families in the UK can be estimated using the Annual Population Survey (APS). Estimates are provided for lone parent families which include at least one child aged under 16.
	The table below shows the latest available figures which are for 2008 on the 2008 parliamentary constituency boundaries. Makerfield as constituted in 2008 comprised 13 electoral wards, five more than the current constituency. The breakdown of the data available is not sufficiently detailed to determine whether the newly constituted parliamentary constituency contains the lone parent families.
	
		
			  Geographical area  Number of lone parent families with at least one child under 16 (thousand) 
			 Makerfield constituency (current) n/a 
			 Makerfield constituency (2008) 2 
			 n/a = not available  Source: APS January to December 2008

Lone Parents: Worsley

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many lone parents there are in Worsley and Eccles South constituency.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many lone parents there are in Worsley and Eccles South constituency. (6139)
	The number and type of families in the UK can be estimated using the Annual Population Survey (APS). Estimates are provided for lone parent families which include at least one child aged under 16.
	The table below shows the latest available figures which are for 2008 on the 2008 parliamentary constituency boundaries. Data are provided for the two separate parliamentary constituencies ('Worsley' and 'Eccles') as constituted in 2008. These two combined are substantially larger than the current parliamentary constituency ('Worsley and Eccles South'). The breakdown of the data available is not sufficiently detailed to determine whether the newly constituted parliamentary constituency contains the lone parent families.
	
		
			  Geographical area  Number of lone parent families-with at least one child under 16 (thousand) 
			 Worsley and Eccles South constituency (current) n/a 
			 Worsley constituency (2008) 3 
			 Eccles constituency (2008) 4 
			 n/a = not available  Source: APS January to December 2008

Migration

James Clappison: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate his Department has made of the volume of population growth  (a) directly and  (b) indirectly attributable to migration in each year since 1990.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking what estimate has been made of the volume of population growth (a) directly and (b) indirectly attributable to migration in each year since 1990 (5300).
	(a) Table 1 shows the volume of UK population growth directly attributable to migration in each year since mid-1990.
	(b) ONS does not have the necessary information to provide an estimate of the volume of population growth indirectly attributable to migration.
	
		
			  Table 1: Population change due to net migration and other changes, UK, mid-1990 to mid-2009 
			  Year  Net migration and other changes 
			 1990-91 47,800 
			 1991-92 -11,400 
			 1992-93 500 
			 1993-94 36,000 
			 1994-95 55,800 
			   
			 1995-96 62,200 
			 1996-97 47,000 
			 1997-98 60,300 
			 1998-99 132,800 
			 1999-2000 139,300 
			   
			 2000-01 153,200 
			 2001-02 143,300 
			 2002-03 156,500 
			 2003-04 185,700 
			 2004-05 266,800 
			   
			 2005-06 190,100 
			 2006-07 214,400 
			 2007-08 192,100 
			 2008-09 177,200 
			  Note:  'Other changes' includes changes in the population due to changes in the number of armed forces (both foreign and home) and their dependents resident in the UK.  Sources: Office for National Statistics, General Register Office for Scotland and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency

National Citizen Service

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the planned implementation date is of the pilot of the National Citizen Service for 16 year-olds.

Nick Hurd: Full details of this programme will be announced by the Cabinet Office later this year, with a launch expected in 2011.

New Businesses

Graham Evans: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many new businesses have been started in  (a) Weaver Vale constituency,  (b) West Cheshire and Chester unitary authority,  (c) Halton borough council,  (d) the North West and  (e) the UK in each year since 1997.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	he information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 7 July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many new businesses have been started in (a) Weaver Vale constituency, (b) West Cheshire and Chester Unitary Authority, (c) Halton Borough Council, (d) the North West and (e) the UK in each year since 1997.
	Annual statistics on business births, deaths and survival are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at www.statistics.gov.uk from 2002 onwards. The table below contains the latest statistics available on enterprise births in a) Weaver Vale constituency, (b) West Cheshire and Chester Unitary Authority, (c) Halton Borough Council, (d) the North West and (e) the UK in each year since 2002.
	
		
			  Enterprise births from 2002-08 
			   Weaver Vale constituency  West Cheshire and Chester UA  Halton UA  North West  United Kingdom 
			 2002 285 1,200 290 24,625 242,540 
			 2003 330 1.355 345 27,225 267,000 
			 2004 325 1,300 360 28,845 280,080 
			 2005 375 1,490 400 29,220 274,855 
			 2006 330 1,425 380 27,265 255,530 
			 2007 375 1,650 445 30,190 280,730 
			 2008 375 1,600 425 27,650 270,215

New Businesses: Greater London

Nick de Bois: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many new businesses have been started in  (a) London,  (b) the London Borough of Enfield and  (c) Enfield North constituency in each year since 2005.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many new businesses have been started in  (a) London,  (b) the London Borough of Enfield and  (c) Enfield North constituency in each year since 2005.
	Annual statistics on business births, deaths and survival are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at
	www.statistics.gov.uk.
	The table below contains the latest statistics available on enterprise births in Enfield North parliamentary constituency, the London Borough of Enfield and London over the past four years.
	
		
			  The count of  enterprise births from 2005- 08 in Enfield North parliamentary constituency, the London  b orough of Enfield and London 
			   2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Enfield North 405 410 360 485 
			 Enfield 1,380 1,385 1,285 1,440 
			 London 51,285 47,890 53,120 59,100

Public Bodies Bill

John Healey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many officials of his Department are working on preparations for the Public Bodies Bill.

Francis Maude: Within the Cabinet Office, 3.5 whole-time equivalent officials are involved in preparations for the Public Bodies Bill.

Well-being

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will take steps to  (a) promote and  (b) measure general well-being during the current Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: Within the civil service health and well-being is one of our corporate priorities. The Cabinet Office is working with other Government Departments to promote health and well-being at work and has published a cross Civil Service Health and Wellbeing Framework that is available to all Departments via the Civil Pages.